Two students from California Polytechnic State University were injured in a deadly train crash in Spain that claimed at least 69 lives.
The collision happened Wednesday when a high-speed train struck another train stopped in Udra, Spain, roughly 100 miles south of Madrid.
Cal Poly confirmed that two injured passengers were students at the university. A GoFundMe fundraiser identified one of them as Leah Silver-Fajardo, a third-year student.
Matt Lazier, a Cal Poly spokesperson, told KSBY 6 that the university is coordinating with the U.S. Embassy and its study-abroad partners in Spain regarding the students.
Lazier said both students are receiving medical care.
“The university is in contact with these students’ families to provide support. In addition, Cal Poly is reaching out to its students studying in Spain and across Europe to offer support,” he said.
Rachel Chernin, Leah’s aunt and the organizer of her GoFundMe campaign, said the donations would help pay for her niece’s medical treatment and other expenses.
The fundraiser set a goal of $110,000 and had collected more than $92,000 by Monday morning.
According to the campaign page, Leah suffered multiple serious injuries, including fractures to her knee, pelvis and ribs, bruised lungs, cuts and burns.
She has undergone surgery on her knee and is waiting for another operation to repair her pelvis.
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In an update posted Saturday, Chernin said doctors found another fracture in Leah’s femur after she left intensive care.
Chernin also said Leah has faced difficulties managing her pain because of morphine-related side effects.
Leah is studying neuropsychology at Cal Poly and is from Seattle, Washington.
The GoFundMe page said she enjoys running, hiking, traveling and other outdoor activities.
She celebrated her 21st birthday in Florence, Italy, just weeks before the crash.
Leah’s parents, Nicole and Sergio, received a call from the U.S. Embassy informing them that she had been involved in the train collision.
For a period of time, her parents did not know where she was or whether she had survived, according to the fundraiser.
Leah’s friends from her study-abroad program searched several hospitals before locating her and notifying her parents.
According to the GoFundMe post, Leah’s family, including her parents and sister Hannah, have rearranged their lives to support her recovery.
The second Cal Poly student injured in the crash has not been publicly identified.
