A 17-year-old boy lost both feet after being hit by a train in Lilburn on Thursday, but was able to call 911 right after it happened.
The teen was laying down with his feet draped over train tracks when he was hit by a CSX train. It took the train between half a mile and three quarters of a mile to come to a complete stop, Lilburn Police Capt. Thomas Bardugon said.
The boy was able to call 911 at 12:56 p.m., and emergency medical services quickly responded. The paramedics who treated him applied tourniquets to his legs, which said likely saved his life.
He was transported to Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville in stable condition.
“For someone to get hit by a train and only lose his feet is remarkable,” Bardugon said.
Police don’t know why the teen was laying near the train tracks, but he told paramedics he did not intend to harm himself. The Lilburn Police Department and CSX will conduct a joint investigation to determine what exactly happened.