Man nearly loses hand after being hit by train while sleeping on tracks in Ann Arbor
Rescue crews work to free a man after his hand got stuck in a train wheel. (Photo: Ann Arbor Fire Department)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - A man was sleeping on the tracks when he was struck by a train Monday night in Ann Arbor, the fire department said.
According to the Ann Arbor Fire Department, the 20-year-old victim was hit by a train on tracks between Huron and Miller at 9:37 p.m. The freight train was moving slowly when it hit him and was able to stop shortly after.
Firefighters had to work to untangle the victim because his hand was stuck between the wheel, axle, and wear gear of the lead car. The rescue effort was difficult due to the location and the strength of the metal.
After one hour of attempting to remove his hand from where it was stuck, a University of Michigan surgery team was flown to the scene via helicopter to potentially amputate the man's hand. However, he was extricated without losing his hand. The entire rescue took almost two hours.
Firefighters said the hand injury was the only major trauma the victim suffered. He is listed as stable at U-M Hospital.
"This was a once in career incident for those involved. Normally, person versus train incidents are fatal. This was a true team effort," the fire department said in a press release.