MENDON, Mo. — The Amtrak train crash in Missouri last Monday not only left three people dead, but dozens injured. Among the injured is a relative of 5NEWS evening anchor Daren Bobb.
A few days after the accident, Daren spoke with his cousin Janet about the ordeal she and her husband Mark went through.
Janet and Mark Steineke were traveling with fourteen members of Mark’s family When the accident happened. They all had just finished several days of traveling across the country, visiting a number of national parks.
They were headed back to Chicago where they would take another commuter train back to Ohio. The family was spread out on two levels of the train car. Janet and Mark were on the upper level when then the unthinkable happened.
"We had no idea what we hit. Obviously, we flew forward but the train didn’t overturn right away," Janet said.
As she and her family were picking themselves up off the floor, they began to help others nearby who were more seriously injured.
Then the train started tipping in slow motion. It was like a slo-mo movie and there was just nothing you could do," she said.
Janet says she and those on the upper level were injured worse after the train tipped over.
"I was on the opposite side by the opposite window so I fell the farthest you could fall."
She says that’s when she and her husband’s survival mode kicked in. He didn’t realize he was injured.
"He stayed inside the train to help— we had siblings that were trapped. I was able to move, I don't know how I got out I crawled I know I had to crawl sideways down the steps to go to the bottom car."
Janet says those who live nearby in the town of Mendon, Missouri were like angels.
"Everybody in that town helped in some way," she said. "When I climbed up on top of the train to try to get help for the people that were trapped inside my car I had a very good view of people coming and helping and driving trucks through corn fields and just getting to us."
"After getting out and away from the wreckage, it was a matter now of comforting each other especially since it was hot that day."
"We could pour water on their clothing, on their ankles on their wrists talk to them."
After being kept in the hospital for a few days and getting rental cars to drive back home all sixteen family members got a big welcome home at one in the morning.
"We didn’t realize what they were doing and they had all the kids and grandkids in the family," Janet said.
She suffered some facial injuries, a cracked rib, severe whiplash, and bruises. Her husband Mark received head injuries but is doing ok. She says they are all grateful to be alive and to be back home recovering.
Janet’s husband has had one MRI and will likely have more. She says they have a long road of recovery ahead.
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