Lodi man rescues elderly woman from oncoming train

Tag : Flashing Phone Strap

Meanwhile, Sam Huffman, 20, had crossed the tracks and approachedSacramento Street when he looked in his mirror and saw the womanstuck on the tracks. The crossing arms were down, the warninglights were flashing and the bells were ringing.

"I was going to meet my girlfriend at the parking garage. We weregoing to see a movie," Huffman said.

"I stopped at the stop sign on Sacramento Street," he said. "I wasmessing with my cell phone, I heard the train and looked through myrear-view mirror and saw her on the ground. I put my truck inreverse, jumped out and grabbed her out of her wheelchair.

"I probably got three steps away (from the tracks) before it hither wheelchair," Huffman said.

The train missed Jones and Huffman by only three feet, according topolice Officer Dale Eubanks. The motorized wheelchair, which sheused because of bad knees, was destroyed by the locomotive.

The train engineer, going an estimated 40 mph, stopped the trainand told police that Jones and Huffman were so close to the trainhe thought they were struck.

"At first, she was really shaken up," Huffman said of Jones. "Ijust asked her if she was OK, and she said she was fine. Afterabout five minutes, she pretty much had her head on straight."

Monroe, who was patrolling in the area at the time, didn't seeJones lying on the tracks at the time. It appeared at first thatHuffman was walking onto the tracks to commit suicide, he said.