Truck plows into Chicago rail station, 2 dead

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An 18-wheeler truck crashed into a rapid transit station in Chicago at rush hour on Friday, killing two people and injuring 21, some critically, officials said.

The truck left a freeway ramp then crashed through a glass wall, hitting an escalator carrying passengers between the street and the elevated rail platform at the Chinatown station south of downtown Chicago.

"It was out of control," a 14-year-old boy who saw the accident told the Chicago Tribune. He said it appeared the truck driver was trying to turn but lost control.

The fire department said the injuries ranged from relatively minor to critical.

Chinatown is on the Red Line, a major north-south route combining subway, surface and elevated tracks.

Train service was halted then restarted but the station was not boarding or unloading passengers. Transit officials said the elevated structure was not damaged.

(Editing by John O'Callaghan)