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Trains have long been a vital part of our travel, cargo transport, and cultural fabric. Over the ages, they've transformed from simple steam-powered engines to cutting-edge, autonomous trains that effortlessly traverse vast continents, forming the backbone of modern transportation systems.
Many trains today operate entirely on automation. However, despite technological advancements, they remain incredibly hard to stop quickly. Anything in their path is in for a potentially devastating collision if it doesn't move fast enough.
Some statistics about trains are truly eye-opening. For example, did you know that every two hours in the United States, a person or vehicle is struck by a train? This includes the most severe of incidents—a train collision, which can lead to disastrous outcomes.
Around 1,000 individuals die annually in train-related accidents. However, there are rare cases where the person struck by the train survives and shares their incredible story of what it was like to experience such a shocking event.
10. Sebring, Florida
In one of the most extraordinary instances of someone being struck by a train, a 34-year-old woman in Sebring, Florida, was walking along the tracks just before 5:30 AM on August 17, 2018. Suddenly, a passing train hit her unexpectedly.
Unbelievably, the woman remained conscious after the impact and was able to call paramedics to report her injuries. At nearly the same moment, another call came through to emergency services: the train crew reporting that they had struck someone on the tracks.
When paramedics arrived, they had to search through some groves to locate her. She had wandered off the main road. However, they successfully transported her to the hospital and treated her injuries. Imagine being able to share this remarkable story for the rest of your life.
9. Eugene Barb
On the night of October 3, 2018, in Cincinnati, Ohio, 43-year-old Eugene Barb was walking along the train tracks after having consumed a substantial amount of alcohol. To put it simply, Barb was intoxicated. As an oncoming train approached, the unsteady Barb tried to get off the tracks but didn't make it in time and was struck by the train.
A man on the train reported seeing Eugene Barb with his legs hanging over the rail beside the tracks, and then Barb moved out of sight as the train neared. The man then heard a thud, signaling that the train had struck Barb.
The man disembarked to check on Barb and immediately recognized what had happened. To his surprise, Barb was not only standing but also walking toward him. Barb looked at the man, turned around, and drunkenly staggered away.
Rail authorities found Barb hours later near the site of the incident, but no charges were pressed against him for trespassing. It appeared that being hit by a train was punishment enough.
8. Darryle See
Darryle See's survival story is one of the more remarkable ones involving someone who collided with a moving train. A leading cause of accidents involving trains and pedestrians or vehicles is the use of headphones—people simply don’t hear the approaching train until it’s too late.
This was exactly what happened to 22-year-old See. In August 2013, he was struck when his headphones kept him from hearing the oncoming train until it was far too late.
See was leisurely walking along the tracks and listening to music when a fast-moving train, traveling at 177 kilometers per hour (110 mph), crashed into him. The impact threw him over 6 meters (20 ft) and the force was so powerful that it sent his shoes flying off his feet, landing about 46 meters (150 ft) away.
Though he doesn’t remember the impact itself, See was awake and alert by the time the police arrived. Aside from a few fractured bones, he emerged without any major injuries.
7. The Manhattan Incident
In mid-December 2017, a 41-year-old man, whose identity remains unknown, became the victim of a tragic train collision in Manhattan. While standing on the platform at Union Square station, two men attacked him by crossing the tracks, punching him in the head, and quickly fleeing the scene.
As the victim fell from the punch, his head inadvertently crossed into the train's path. At that moment, a southbound Q train struck him directly in the head, causing a skull fracture. The collision resulted in significant bleeding, as is typical when a train impacts someone.
Incredibly, the man walked away unscathed. The police followed up by releasing footage from the subway’s security cameras, showing the two assailants responsible for the attack in the hopes of identifying them.
6. Chicago, Illinois
In December 2018, a man in Chicago, Illinois, unknowingly stepped onto the train tracks at the intersection of 71st Street and South Exchange Avenue. He failed to notice the oncoming train.
The man walked directly into the train's path and was struck. The impact sent him crashing to the ground, landing on the rocks surrounding the tracks. It was then that bystander Terrence Sims approached the man, who was still conscious. When asked, “What happened?” the man replied, “Nah.” Sims responded, “Yeah.”
Sims called 911 and stayed with the man until emergency services arrived.
5. Martha Sharp
In November 2018, 36-year-old Martha Sharp was struck on her buttocks by a train. Miraculously, she survived because the train impacted the left side of her body, propelling her away from the tracks rather than pulling her under the massive wheels of the train.
The incident occurred at around 4:04 PM on East Fort Wayne Street in Warsaw, Indiana. Sharp was transported to the hospital, where she received treatment for head injuries sustained when she was flung aside by the moving train.
4. Opole, Poland
In a chilling event captured on CCTV in Opole, Poland, a man was hit by a train in November 2015. The footage is startling. It shows the man riding his bicycle toward the tracks at the precise moment a speeding train appears out of nowhere. The cyclist collides directly with the oncoming train.
The CCTV footage of this terrifying incident was uploaded to YouTube in December 2015, quickly gaining over a million views. The video reveals how the man was violently thrown from his bicycle with incredible force. It's miraculous that he survived the impact—but he did.
3. Friendship Heights Station
At the Friendship Heights Station in Washington, DC, an accident occurred that caused significant delays and nearly claimed the life of a woman struck by a train. In her wheelchair, she was heading to the platform as she did every day—but this day would unfold in a terrifying way.
CCTV footage from the station captured the moment the woman veered off the platform and onto the tracks—right in front of an approaching Red Line train. The impact sent her flying a considerable distance. The station staff swiftly cut power to the tracks, and emergency responders found her alive and rushed her to the hospital to treat her injuries.
2. Elijah Anderson
Elijah Anderson was only four years old when doctors in Atlanta started referring to him as Superman. On November 5, 2009, Elijah was out with his dog, Poochy, when the Jack Russell terrier dashed toward the train tracks. As Elijah chased after the dog, an oncoming 1,594-meter-long (5,229 ft) train struck him at a speed of 48 kilometers per hour (30 mph). Elijah never saw it coming. His focus was entirely on getting Poochy home safely.
When paramedics arrived, they rushed Elijah to the hospital. He was treated for a concussion and received stitches to his head. Remarkably, within 24 hours, his condition improved from critical to stable. Just two days later, Elijah was back home and resuming his normal routine with Poochy. The dog, unharmed, had returned home shortly after the accident.
1. Melbourne, Australia
Perhaps the most miraculous survival story on this list occurred in Melbourne, Australia, and was captured on CCTV. In October 2009, the individual struck by the train was a six-month-old baby—and unbelievably, he survived the ordeal.
As the train drew near, the baby was sitting in a stroller that was positioned a little too close to the tracks. At that moment, the child’s mother turned her attention away for just a moment to adjust her pants, and in that split second, the stroller rolled into the path of the approaching train.
The baby, along with the stroller, was dragged along the tracks for a full 30 meters (98 ft). Despite the driver’s desperate attempts to apply the brakes, the train struggled to come to a stop in time.
When the train finally halted, everyone was stunned to discover that the baby had miraculously survived, with only a small bump on the head. Authorities reported that the six-month-old only needed a good meal and a nap to recover from the ordeal.
