Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Teen Loses Her Legs in Train-Hop Stunt

She worried her parents would be mad

By Mary Papenfuss, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 6, 2011 2:31 AM CDT

(Newser) – A Colorado teenager lost both her legs below the knee when she tried to jump onto a moving freight train with her friends and slipped under the rails. One of her friends pulled her out and a nurse who happened to be passing applied tourniquets to her limbs, reports the Longmont Times-Call. The teen, a student at Colorado State University, was airlifted to a Denver hospital for emergency surgery.

"It was pretty gruesome," said a local man who stopped to help. "Thank God the nurse was there. Otherwise, we were using scarves as tourniquets. It wasn't working too well," said Brian Ellwanger. The girl "kept telling me her parents were going to be pissed at her," he said. Ellwanger told her they would be glad she was alive.

A college teen slipped under train tracks as she tried to hop a freight car. (?dreamsjung)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

11%

60%

15%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Winter Storm Pounds Colorado

Denver could see historic snowfall

(NEWSER) - Heavy snowfall in Colorado has shut down sections of I-70 and I-25 amid a number of accidents, as snow piled up at two inches per hour on the Eastern Plains. An area near Denver has already seen a foot and a half of snow, and another foot is likely in some regions, experts tell the AP . Northeastern Colorado is facing a blizzard warning through tomorrow, with possible 30mph winds likely halting travel. More»

United Flight's Engine Shuts Down in Mid-Air

Plane makes emergency landing in Colorado

(NEWSER) - A United airlines flight en route from Denver to Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing in Colorado when one of its two engines shut down. The Boeing 757 experienced trouble shortly after takeoff and was diverted to a Grand Junction facility typically used by much smaller airplanes. There were no injuries among the 125 people on board, reports the Los Angeles Times . The FAA is investigating, although an official emphasized that planes are capable of traveling long distances on a single engine. "There was some applause when we landed," a passenger told AP . "I think the crew handled it very well." More»

Bike Sharing Is a Foreign Conspiracy: GOP Candidate

It's a plot that leads to UN takeover, says would-be gov of Colorado

(NEWSER) - A Republican running for governor of Colorado has discovered a dangerous new threat to the American way of life and the personal freedoms Americans enjoy: bicycles. Dan Maes, a Tea Party favorite, has charged the Denver mayor, who he's running against, of joining a "well-disguised" international plot to have the UN take over the country though a bicycle-sharing program. The 400 red bikes for rent looks harmless enough, Maes said last week at a campaign rally, but "That's exactly the attitude they want you to have." More»

Chefs Fly High With Gourmet Pot

Munchies meet pot in tasty marriage

(NEWSER) - Potheads no longer have to inhale their drug or gobble pot brownies—they can eat it oh-so-properly with a fork and knife, thanks to the growing number of marijuana-laced gourmet goodies. Ganja Gourmet serves cannabis-infused specialties such as pizza, hummus, and lasagna in one medical marijuana dispensary in Denver, and a nearby Caribbean restaurant will soon offer pot baking classes to help home chefs get baked. More»

Denver Man Gets Alien Greeting Panel on Ballot

Goal is to lay groundwork for successful 'diplomatic contact'

(NEWSER) - Every major US city should have a plan to greet extraterrestrial visitors, and Denver might just get its own come 2010. A local man has scared up enough signatures to have a proposition creating an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission included on the ballot next year. Given that Jeff Peckman assumes the visitors will be benevolent, the commission would write up a plan for “diplomatic contact” ahead of “mutually respectful and beneficial coexistence.” More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Teen Loses Her Legs in Train-Hop Stunt

She worried her parents would be mad

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Denver • Colorado • college student • freight train

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Winter Storm Pounds Colorado

Denver could see historic snowfall

United Flight's Engine Shuts Down in Mid-Air

Plane makes emergency landing in Colorado

Bike Sharing Is a Foreign Conspiracy: GOP Candidate

It's a plot that leads to UN takeover, says would-be gov of Colorado

Chefs Fly High With Gourmet Pot

Munchies meet pot in tasty marriage

Denver Man Gets Alien Greeting Panel on Ballot

Goal is to lay groundwork for successful 'diplomatic contact'

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?