The Canadian Press
CALGARY — A man who fell asleep on some railway tracks had both his legs amputated by a freight train after the driver wasn’t able to stop in time.
Ed Greenberg, spokesman for Canadian Pacific Railway, said a 30-year-old man was lying on the tracks in southeast Calgary on Wednesday and a 35-year-old female was nearby.
“As soon as the crew saw people on the tracks, they went into an emergency brake system to avoid contact,” said Greenberg. “It was a traumatic experience for everyone involved.”
The train wasn’t able to stop in time and the man was struck.
The crew immediately called paramedics, police and the fire department to help extricate the man, whose legs were crushed under the train.
“They are trained to offer initial assistance but there’s only so much they can do when someone is trapped under a locomotive,” said Greenberg.
Ben Morgan, a spokesman for Emergency Medical Services, said the man was taken to hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries.
“En route he went into cardiac arrest,” said Morgan.
The man was revived by paramedics, but it’s too early to say whether he’ll survive his injuries, said Morgan.
The woman was also taken to hospital.
The relationship between the victim and the woman was unknown.
Canadian Pacific was investigating whether alcohol or drugs were a factor.