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Denver rail worker loses leg after being trapped by derailed train car

A Denver rail worker suffered severe injuries and had his leg amputated after being trapped by a derailed train car at the BNSF Globeville Yard

By Katie Langford
The Denver Post

DENVER — A Denver rail worker’s leg had to be amputated after he was trapped by a derailed train car in the BNSF Globeville Yard early Tuesday morning.

Rescue crews responded to the yard at 3700 Globeville Road at 12:13 a.m. and were able to free the trapped man. He was taken to the hospital with severe injuries to his right leg, according to the Denver Fire Department.

|More: Is your rescue team prepared for a field amputation?

The man’s right leg was amputated after he was rushed into surgery, said Carl Smith, the safety and legislative director for the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers’ union.

Smith said this and other recent incidents — including a derailment that killed a truck driver near Pueblo in 2023 and a Globeville rail yard worker who died after falling from a locomotive in 2022 — highlight the need for more oversight and transparency.

In a statement, BNSF officials confirmed an employee was injured “while performing work inside our Denver yard” and was taken to the hospital.

The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the crash and will release a preliminary report within 30 days, spokesperson Sarah Taylor Sulick said. Anyone who witnessed the crash can contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

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