Cal Poly Student Identified Among Survivors of Fatal Spain High-Speed Train Crash
A second Cal Poly student faces life-altering injuries after a deadly high-speed train crash in Spain. Get the latest on Austin Hartman.
POLICY WIRE — Urda, Spain — Authorities have identified the second student from California Polytechnic State University who was injured in a catastrophic high-speed train collision in Spain that claimed at least 69 lives.
Austin Hartman, a junior majoring in business administration at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, is facing a grueling recovery after sustaining life-altering injuries. Reports indicate that Hartman suffered \severe traumatic injuries\ during the accident and will require multiple surgical procedures to address the damage to his body from last week’s impact.
The horrific accident occurred last Wednesday in Urda, located roughly 100 miles south of Madrid. A high-speed train collided with another train that was stationary at the time, resulting in mass casualties.
Both affected California students were in the country as part of a study abroad program when the disaster struck. Hartman is not expected to return home for at least two months as he focuses on his intensive medical treatment.
The tragedy has led to significant political fallout in Spain. The nation’s Transport Minister resigned following the crash, prompting Prime Minister Sanchez to conduct a cabinet reshuffle and appoint a temporary successor to fill the critical role.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
