Police: Teen loses legs as she tries to hop train
LONGMONT, Colo. (AP) - September 5, 2011
One of three males with the student was briefly dragged by the
train but suffered only minor injuries. The accident occurred in
the northern Colorado town of Longmont shortly after 1 p.m. when
the group tried to board the northbound Burlington Northern Santa
Fe train, police said.
Train speed limits through Longmont are 25 mph. It wasn't known
exactly how fast the train was going at the time of the accident.
The student was taken to Longmont United Hospital by ambulance
and then flown to Denver Health Medical Center. Denver Health
officials said they couldn't release any information about her, but
Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said he believed she was conscious
and able to talk.
Longmont is about 30 miles north of Denver and about 30 miles
south of Fort Collins, where the university is located. All four
lived in Fort Collins and it's possible they caught a train south
and were trying to return home when the accident took place, Satur
said.
No names have been released, but Satur said the three males with
were between 17 to 20 years old. The female victim's parents live
in another state, which Satur didn't identify.
The male who was dragged by the train was cited for trespassing,
as was another one of the males, Satur said. A third male made it
aboard the train and his whereabouts were unknown.
Satur said he didn't know if the female would be cited.
"She's got enough issues to worry about," he said.