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« on: May 28, 2008, 11:59:23 pm »
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http://www.wmur.com/news/16413056/detail.htmlLEBANON, Maine -- Two teenage girls lying on a train trestle were seriously injured Wednesday when they were hit by a freight train.
Emergency workers said the girls, ages 13 and 14, may have been sleeping in the sun when they were hit by the train. They were flown to Maine Medical Center, where both were listed in critical condition.
Maine officials said Rachel Brown, 14, of Lebanon, suffered an amputation at her ankle, and Destiny Phaneuf, 13, also of Lebanon, suffered an amputation just below her knee. Phaneuf also suffered a head injury.
Witnesses said they heard the girls scream and saw them attempt to move before they were hit. Milton, N.H., Police Chief Mark McGowan said the train's conductor also saw the girls and blew his horn but was not able to stop in time.
"My heart is still pounding," said Christie West, who lives across from the tracks. "I'm shaking. I'm very, very upset. I hope and pray everyone is OK through this."
The train normally travels 30 to 35 mph but had slowed to go through the Lebanon intersection and was believed to be going at about 15 mph, according to emergency workers. The train is owned by New Hampshire North Coast Corp.
West said the train screeched to a halt after passing her back door.
"That's about where I saw a little girl laying, and her knees were bent, so I could see small legs bent on the railroad tracks, and she was moving, so I knew that she was alive," West said.
After the girls were transported to the hospital, emergency crews searched the water.
"Any time you have an amputation, you always try to find a body part and reattach it if possible," said Lebanon Fire Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Coty.
The trestle crosses a river on the Maine-New Hampshire border. Neighbors said the area is off-limits, but it is still a popular spot where people hang out and swim.
Officials said last year, a boy riding his bike was hit on the trestle. Milton police said they are called to the area at least once a day over the summer.
The York County Sheriff's Department was investigating. Police said they were trying to determine why the girls didn't hear the train coming, but they may not be able to speak to the girls for a couple of days. The irony of the story. The girls wanted to look good, now they have to live their whole lives, potentially unless limb regrowth becomes possible, in a new way. The chaos of this world is cruel. It saddens me a little to think that they are probably going to have a hard life, but who knows, this event might propel them to things other than body image. The world might be better. No use crying over spilled milk or however that phrase goes. Thoughts?
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Topic: The Cost of Vanity (Read 758 times)