Man Loses Foot, Part Of Leg After Getting Hit By Train

ADAIRSVILLE, GA — The mother of a man who lost a foot and part of his leg following an accident involving a train last week in Bartow County is hoping the community will rally around the family to help pay her son's medical bills.

Amy Stroud has created a GoFundMe page to generate donations for her son, Austin, who was seriously injured Oct. 29 in a bizarre accident. Stroud said her son was waiting on a train to pass "when the ground gave way, which caused him to fall toward (sic) the train."

An incident report released by the Bartow County Sheriff's Office states a deputy responded to the area of Jarrett Loop near Hall Station Road in Adairsville around 4:20 p.m. He met with a witness who said he found Austin Stroud lying in the road near the intersection following the accident.

The witness asked Stroud if he needed help, and noticed the 21-year-old man's foot had "almost severed," the incident report states.

Stroud told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the accident happened when he fell towards the tracks after losing his footing. When he rolled over onto his back, Stroud said his left foot went into the air and the train struck his foot, according to the newspaper.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here)

Stroud, a Cobb County resident, suffered extensive damage to his extremity and due to the severity of the injuries, Stroud's family made the decision to amputate his foot and leg just below the left knee. He was transported to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga for treatment, but has since been transferred to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, the AJC reported.

"Austin has a long road to recovery," Amy Stroud said on the GoFundMe page. "We are not the type to ask for help; however, medical costs are piling up. Any contribution would be highly appreciated. Prayers are always welcome!! Thank you and God bless!"

The CSX train conductor told the sheriff's deputy he "did not see anyone" at the time of the accident, and the train was allowed to resume normal operations.

As of Saturday, $1,695 had been raised towards the $30,000 goal. You can click here to consider making a donation to the GoFundMe campaign.

Image via GoFundMe, a Patch partner