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Witness: Boy, 9, Lost Both Feet In St. Paul Train Accident

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- A 9-year-old boy is in the hospital Thursday night after witnesses say both his feet were severed off when he was playing on a moving train.

David Thornton, a neighbor who helped the boy, saw the incident happen from afar at around 6 p.m.

"His feet slipped out from under him [while he was] trying to get on the ladder of the moving train," he said. "And both feet were severed off at the ankle."

Thornton wasn't sure what had happened at first, but noticed it was strange how the boy was crawling.

"The boy courageously crawled from the scene…a good 100-150 feet," Thornton said. "I was amazed at his courage. He was more calm than I think I was inside."

Police spokesperson Howie Padilla said the accident happened near the intersection of Farrington Street and Ivy Avenue West, which sits just south of railroad tracks.

People nearby called 911, and when officers arrived before paramedics, they applied tourniquets.

The boy is currently at Regions Hospital with his family. He has not been named.

Police said the train operator may not have even known about the accident.

The tracks at the location are owned by Burlington Northern.

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