(Portland, Oregon – July 11, 2011)
A 23-year-old man, walking along Union Pacific Railroad tracks near Southeast Water Avenue and Stark Street in Portland, OR Monday night had a passing train snare his backpack and hurl him beneath the train, cutting his left leg off just below the knee as he tried to escape. The victim, James Pile, never lost consciousness during the ordeal, and when rescue workers arrived, he was holding the severed limb.
The UPRR train, meanwhile, continued on, its crew unaware of the tragedy until they were radioed by authorities to stop their train. A bystander, Nathan Young, saw the accident occur, got a towel from a friend’s car, called 911 and aided the victim via instructions from the emergency operator until help arrived. Pile was taken to Oregon Health and Science University Hospital where he was admitted in fair condition.
