Woman risks her life to save mother's after stranger pushed her in front of a moving train
28-year-old Katie Wenszell saw no other option when the man pushed her mom in front of a moving train, causing her to pass out moments before the train arrived.
Susan and her daughter Katie, residents of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, went on a weekend sightseeing trip to Atlanta, Georgia last month. Their mode of transportation was the subway.
Katie was among four siblings in addition to her mother for what was described as a girls' weekend by WSBTV. But just the two of them were at the Midtown Station subway at 4:30 p.m on Sunday.
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#Breaking: MARTA PD confirming Christopher Brooklin appeared to have “some diminished mental capacity,” when questioned about why he pushed a woman in front of an oncoming train on Sunday @ the Midtown Station. Stay with @wsbtv for the latest on this story. pic.twitter.com/RccIS4EQ2Q
— Nefertiti Jáquez (@nefertitijaquez) August 21, 2018
According to Inside Edition, Susan's husband Jerry spoke to Channel 2 where he stated that "Had Katie not jumped onto the tracks, Sue would not be here."
The attacker, later identified as 28-year-old Christopher Patrick Brooklin, pushed Susan onto the tracks below as the mother and daughter waited. Susan, 58, instantly fell unconscious when she hit the ground.
MPD has arrested Christopher Patrick Brooklin, age 28, in connection with the incident at Midtown station on Sunday afternoon. He is charged with Aggravated Assault and Battery in a Public Transit Station. He is currently lodged in the Fulton County Jail.
— MARTA Police (@MARTAPolice) August 20, 2018
When the eighth-grade teacher saw what happened, she immediately jumped down and repositioned her mother's body to lay within the main outer tracks.
In that way, the train would pass above her mother and herself. But Katie received the brunt of the damage as the train passed over them.
I’m told a mother was either pushed or knocked onto the Midtown Marta train tracks and was run over by the front of the train. Her daughter and another person tried to help her. The other helper was then hit by the train too. @cbs46 pic.twitter.com/PPBP1dR2OF
— Hayley Mason (@HayleyMasonTV) August 19, 2018
Her mother incurred minor injuries. She was left with a concussion, a fractured elbow, and a hairline fracture.
Meanwhile, parts of Katie's right foot were amputated and in addition to her brain injury, she received three plates in her head. She has to undergo facial reconstruction surgery.
Woman run over by train after stranger pushed mother onto tracks: 'A hero in every sense of the word': https://t.co/YvbOcIBlgh pic.twitter.com/rE2q66jh3x
— FOX6 News (@fox6now) August 22, 2018
Katie also suffered severe cuts on her left shoulder as well as on her neck due to her necklace.
Jerry calls his daughter's survival "a miracle" and refers to her as a "hero." Katie said she "did what any other daughter would have done for a mother that they absolutely love."
INSANE VIDEO: Watch as the women hit by the train crawl up to get help. Witness Chris Wisdom captured what he described as “awe-inspiring.” We have more of his video from the terrifying moments after a woman was pushed off the tracks NEXT on @FOX5Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/UsDcEDpD41
— Alexa Liacko (@AlexaLiacko) August 20, 2018
MARTA police said the arrested man has "some diminished mental capacity."
Jerry said of the culprit:
"The only thing I want is to have him off the streets so that somebody else doesn't end up becoming a victim."
Back in October 2017, one man attempted to do the same thing to his girlfriend ahead of an oncoming train in Adelaide, Australia. The shocking video was uploaded.
19-year-old Lucas Gary Narkle pulled his girlfriend who was only 14 years old towards the train tracks of the Elizabeth South station.
The young girl struggled and was successful in freeing herself from the man's grip. They both fell to the ground.
Narkle was later convicted of endangering the life of a child and spent three months in prison until he was granted bail in February 2018.