ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A 20-year-old man is lucky to be alive after being struck, dragged and entangled in a freight train in Ann Arbor.
It happened just after 9:30 p.m., Monday. Aug. 26, on the tracks between Miller Avenue and Huron Street, just west of Main Street.
According to authorities, the 20-year-old had fallen asleep on the tracks and was struck by a northbound train. The freight train was slow-moving and was able to stop quickly.
Authorities said they found the man between the rails under the train with his left hand entangled in the rear axle of the locomotive, pinned between the wheel, axle and wear gear.
Due to the difficulty of removing him, a surgical team was brought out in case they needed to amputate at the scene. After about two hours, the man was successfully freed and transported to University of Michigan Health and is expected to be OK.
“This was a once-in-a-career incident for those involved,” wrote the Ann Arbor Fire Department on social media. “Normally, person versus train incidents are fatal. This was a true team effort.”
