76-year-old woman walks 4 km on the outside step of a train with her arm stuck in the door

Here is an incredible story that many of you may not have heard of. At the end of last July, a septuagenarian found herself stuck on the step of a train and she traveled several kilometers in this situation. And for good reason, his arm was stuck in the automatic door of a train and the driver did not realize it.

Credit: Enzojz/iStock

For Odette, the 76-year-old retiree from the Riviera, everything happened on July 22. As she was about to get off at a stop, her arm got caught in the automatic door of a train car. But problem, in the station, nobody sees her in this position for the least uncomfortable and the train will leave as if nothing had happened. Stuck on the step, the septuagenarian who planned to make the trip between Nice and the town of Saint-Martin-du-Var will stay outside for about 4 kilometers.

It was motorists traveling on a road alongside the railway who saw Odette's silhouette clinging to the train and quickly raised the alarm. Finally, the train was able to be stopped at the level of the municipality of Plan-du-Var, which allowed the relatively rapid support by the emergency services. Unfortunately, despite her efforts to avoid obstacles, many violent shocks took place on the course and the retiree ended up in critical condition. Her left leg is notably disarticulated and bloody and she suffers from numerous fractures.

Two months after this terrible accident , the septuagenarian who miraculously survived tries to learn to walk again in a specialized center. After several operations, Odette is better but she is still not at the end of her troubles. “I was afraid of being amputated. At one point I thought I was going to die but I hung on and thought about my grandchildren.' she confided to our colleagues from Nice-Matin.

Credit: Frantz Button

A potentially preventable accident

Odette also took advantage of this interview to come back to the precise circumstances in which the tragedy took place. In particular, she explained that she moved slowly due to an old elbow injury which required her to use crutches. When she wanted to get off the train, she claimed to have asked the controller on board for help, without the latter paying attention. She said: “He completely forgot about me. A young person with headphones, whom I asked, did not hear me. Suddenly, I started to go down as much as I could. The doors closed on my right arm, the shopping cart stayed inside and the train has started. »

An investigation is still underway to understand and determine possible responsibilities.