A 17-year-old who lost his legs from the knees down in a train crash is out of the ICU, his family said.
Jacob Ohl was hit by a CSX train in Lilburn last week. Police initially said Ohl lost his feet in the accident, but his family posted on a GoFundMe page that Ohl's legs from the knees down have been amputated.
The police report also said that Ohl had been laying with his feet draped over the tracks; Ohl's family said the teenager was walking near the tracks with his earbuds in before he was hit by the train. Ohl said the same thing when he called 911 right after he was hit.
Credit: Jason Kenney
Credit: Jason Kenney
“We are not sure why the conductor has reported and told the police that Jacob was lying with his feet draped over the tracks,” Ohl’s mother wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Jacob told the 911 operator and told us immediately that he was walking down the center of the tracks with his earbuds on. He made sure to point out that the noise cancelling function was not on.”
Ohl did not hear any train whistle, but “heard/sensed” the train approaching behind him, his mother wrote. Ohl told his mother he didn’t remember if he jumped or was knocked out of the way, preventing more serious injury.
The initial report was mostly sourced from the conductor’s statement to police, said Jason Kenney, Ohl’s mother’s partner, but the conductor is “the only person who said that.”
Ohl is in good spirits as he begins his recovery, Kenney said.
“It’s all looking pretty good. They’re thinking he’ll be able to keep both knees. He’s in amazing spirits for the situation,” Kenney said. “He’s got a great attitude on how to go about healing and getting on with his life.”
Ohl's family has collected nearly $34,000 for Ohl's medical expenses on GoFundMe. See the page here.
