Cal Poly Student Survives Spanish Train Wreck That Killed 69

Leah Silver-Fajardo is recovering in a Spanish hospital after a high-speed train collision in central Spain killed at least 69 people last week. The 21-year-old Cal Poly San Luis Obispo junior suffered multiple fractures and organ damage in the crash near Urda, south of Madrid. Her aunt, Rachel Chernin, detailed the injuries in a GoFundMe campaign established to cover her medical costs.

Silver-Fajardo sustained a broken knee, broken pelvis, broken femur, several broken ribs, bruised lungs, and extensive scrapes and burns. She has already undergone surgery on her knee and is awaiting a second procedure to repair her pelvis. Medical staff moved her out of intensive care, though she faces a long hospital stay and extensive rehabilitation. Her mother, Nicole, noted on the fundraising page that her daughter is in pain but has begun to smile and eat.

Cal Poly spokesman Matt Lazier confirmed in a statement that two students studying abroad were injured in the crash. The university is in contact with both families and is coordinating with U.S. Embassy officials in Spain. Lazier said the university is reaching out to students in Spain and across Europe to offer support. The university has not named the second student or provided details about their condition.

The collision occurred on October 28 when a moving high-speed train struck a stationary train on the tracks. Spanish authorities reported that 54 of the dead were Spanish nationals. Four Americans and one Canadian were also killed. Authorities have identified victims from France, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Portugal, Tunisia, and the Czech Republic. Three bodies remain unidentified, and three people are missing, including two Australians and one person from Japan.

The incident marks the second major high-speed rail disaster on the Madrid-Seville line this year. In January, a train derailed and struck another train traveling in the opposite direction more than two hours south of Urda, killing 46 people. That earlier crash remains under investigation. Search teams with sniffer dogs continued looking for victims on Thursday, a day after the October 28 crash. Cranes moved carriages as police and soldiers examined the wreckage scattered down a gravel slope where at least three carriages were thrown by the impact.

Silver-Fajardo, who is originally from Seattle, is majoring in neuropsychology. Chernin described her as active and enthusiastic about running, hiking, and soccer. The student is studying in Florence, Italy, this semester. She celebrated her birthday in Spain last month with her parents, sister, and friends from her study abroad program.

After the crash, the U.S. Embassy notified Silver-Fajardo's parents that she was on board one of the trains. For a period, they did not know if she had survived. Friends from her study abroad program traveled between hospitals searching for her until they located her and informed her parents.

Chernin wrote that the physical road ahead will be challenging for the student. She is currently immobilized and cannot lift her head much, requiring assistance with water, eating, and brushing her teeth. The GoFundMe page was updated on Monday with this information.

The two California students were part of a group of international travelers on the trains. The crash has prompted a review of safety protocols on the line, though specific changes have not yet been announced by Spanish rail authorities.