A Wisconsin boy scout on the Amtrak train, which derailed when it collided with a dump truck in Missouri, comforted the truck driver before the man died, the scout’s father told The Post.
Dan Skripchak, who is the scout captain of the Appleton Troop 73, said in an interview Monday night that his 15-year-old son Ellie rushed to the driver after he escaped from the confused train and found the man lying in a ditch.
“He’s fine. He’s shaken now that the adrenaline has run out,” Skripcak said of his son. “When we finally talked to him, he was quite upset, he wished he could do more.
“I’m just trying to explain to him that you’re hit by a high-speed train, no one could do much for the truck driver. He did everything he could, did the right thing, provided comfort and help. “
Ellie and 15 other scouts, as well as eight adult drivers, were on the train from Los Angeles to Chicago when the train crashed into a truck at a public level crossing. The two scouts were returning to Wisconsin after a 10-day trip to New Mexico, said Skripchak, who was not on the trip.
Several of the scouts during the trip jumped into action to help passengers after the Amtrak crash.
The driver’s death was one of three fatalities in the collision, while dozens were injured, including three senior drivers and a spy, according to officials and Skripcak.
The train carried 243 passengers and 12 crew members.
An Amtrak train lies derailed after a train collided with a truck at an intersection on June 27, 2022, near Mendon, Mo.AP
Skripchak said his son found the man in a ditch and called a U.S. patrol officer after the first officers arrived at the scene. They tried to stabilize him, but the man succumbed to his injuries, the father said.
“He’s a typical 15-year-old, he thinks he’s Superman, he had to be able to save this man,” the father said.
The Amtrak train was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago when it crashed into a truck at a public level crossing.AP
Later, while passengers were still being helped off the train, a woman arrived who apparently knew the driver and wanted to see his covered wreckage, Skripcak said.
“He said that a lady was really upset and was not allowed to see her body, but that also shook him,” he said of his teenage son.
The death of the truck driver is one of the three deaths as a result of the accident.AP
Ellie, who is a first-class scout, was one of several scouts who jumped into action to help passengers after the derailment, Skripcak said. A handful managed to get off the train and then helped in every way.
He was told that the scouts were scattered on the train, including in their seats, in the dining area and on the observation deck.
A scout had actually been stuck in the train’s bathroom for 35 minutes, trapped by the weight of one of the passengers who died in the crash, and was by the door, Skripcak said.
He heard that some of the scouts helped the first aid services immobilize the passengers when they were placed on boards and sent to ambulances.
Dozens were injured in the crash, including three senior leaders and a scout, according to officials and Skrypczak.Facebook / Amanda Diehl Drinkard
“Every scout leader sees how the kids stay calm and are part of the solution instead of the emergency itself, I think every scout leader would be proud of that,” Skripcak said. “And I’m.”
“I am very, very happy with how they behaved, how they behaved in this situation,” he said. “Obviously it’s very sad that it happened and I can’t wait to hug my child.”
Add Comment