Two California students injured after train crash killed 69 in Spain

Two California university students have been injured in a horrific train crash in Spain that killed at least 69 people.

The crash occurred Wednesday when a high-speed train slammed into another that was stopped in Udra, Spain, about 100 miles south of Madrid.

California Polytechnic State University confirmed two of those injured in the crash were from the school, while a GoFundMe identified one of the two as third-year student Leah Silver-Fajardo.

Cal Poly spokesperson Matt Lazier told KSBY 6 that the university is in contact with the US Embassy and Study Abroad partners in Spain.

He confirmed that the students are receiving medical attention.

“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.

In the GoFundMe organized for Leah, her aunt Rachel Chernin said the funds would help cover her niece’s medical expenses and other costs.

The fundraiser has a goal of $110,000, and the family had already raised more than $92,000 as of Monday morning.

Leah sustained multiple serious injuries, including fractures to her knee, pelvis and ribs, along with bruising to her lungs, cuts and burns, according to the fundraising page.

She has already undergone surgery on her knee and is awaiting another procedure to repair her pelvis.

In an update shared Saturday, Chernin said doctors discovered an additional fracture in Leah’s femur after she was transferred out of intensive care.

She also said Leah has been struggling with pain management because of side effects from morphine.

Leah is studying neuropsychology at Cal Poly. She is from Seattle, Washington.

According to the GoFundMe page, Leah enjoys outdoor activities such as running and hiking as well as traveling.

Weeks before the crash, she marked her 21st birthday in Florence, Italy.

Her parents Nicole and Sergio received a call from the embassy letting them know that Leah had been in the train crash.

The GoFundMe page added that initially her parents didn’t know her whereabouts and whether she was alive.

Her study-abroad friends visited several hospitals before they were able to find her and share the news with her parents.

Her family members have left their respective jobs and studies and rushed to Spain to be by Leah’s side, according to the GoFundMe post.

The other student from Cal Poly, affected by the crash, remains unidentified.

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