My backpack was hit by a passing train on my way to work – now I’m left with life-changing injuries

A Toronto mother of two is on a long road to recovery after her usual morning commute took a disastrous turn.

Manal Srouji, 46, was seriously injured on a Tuesday morning in September while waiting for the train to depart.

She was standing on the narrow platform, facing the direction of her train, when her backpack got stuck in another train speeding in the opposite direction behind her.

Today, three weeks after the accident, Ms. Srouji is no longer on life support, has regained her ability to speak and move her upper body. And even though she doesn’t remember when the train arrived, or even the hour before it happened, she is grateful.

She said: “In a way it’s a blessing. I don’t need to relive it.

Manal Srouji, 46, was seriously injured on a Tuesday morning in September while waiting for the train to work.

Ms. Srouji said a few weeks later from her hospital bed: “Usually I am a very careful person. I don’t walk near the edges and I don’t walk on the yellow lines.

When the passing train hit her, Ms. Srouji found herself face down on the yellow strip of the platform, half of her body hanging over the edge.

She was rushed to hospital, where she remained on life support for at least a week, unable to move or speak. She had two broken legs and multiple fractures, including her pelvis and elbow.

A fracture of the pelvis or other bones poses a direct threat to the organs around them, as bone fractures can puncture nearby structures and cause internal bleeding.

Her first memory is of being in a hospital bed with no idea how she got there.

Lying on her stomach in a hospital bed with metal rods installed to hold her legs and pelvis in place, she said that while she was on life support and unable to speak, she was able to hear the voice of a nearby friend saying, “This will pass.” Everything will be fine.

Her 22-year-old son has not left her side since the accident on September 17. He was the first to tell her that her bag had gotten snagged on a passing express train, but the details remain unclear.

There’s no word yet on when she’ll be able to walk again, but she said she’s recovering “one day at a time.”

She added: “I don’t really have a choice.”

Ms. Srouji, who provides professional support and assistance to clients as they navigate the Canadian legal system, was waiting for the 8:11 a.m. eastbound train on a crowded platform that had been made narrower than usual due to construction construction underway, as reported by the Toronto Star. .

Frequent riders of the Long Branch station said the narrower platform was a long-standing safety risk.

The station has an island platform with tracks on both sides and an additional side platform on the south side. The widest part of the island platform extends about 10 to 13 feet, while the western end narrows to about 5 feet, where Ms. Srouji was struck.

The length of the platform has also been cut in half as Metrolinx, the government transport agency, works to expand and redesign the station for better accessibility.

As a result, public transport users can only get on and off a limited number of carriages.

Commuters at Long Branch station near Toronto said ongoing construction has shrunk platforms that become overcrowded during rush hour.

Metrolinx is investigating the incident and has alerted customers to stay away from yellow lines and keep their bags and belongings close to their bodies.

Other travelers said construction of the station, which is expected to continue until 2027, was a disaster waiting to happen, the Toronto Star reported.

Long Branch local Lisa Davis, who occasionally takes the train from that station while her husband takes it daily, said the work, compounded by reduced service, “was a recipe for this exact incident.”

Ms. Srouji believes the incident could have been avoided if Metrolinx had put appropriate protection measures in place for customers during construction periods.

She and other riders urged Metrolinx to install safety barriers on the platform, increase the frequency of service to reduce the number of people waiting for trains at the same time, and ensure that express trains pass through the station on tracks farthest from the platforms.

Metrolinx, meanwhile, told the Toronto Star that safety measures “are still being put in place during construction,” including reduced train speeds and additional staff at stations.

The government agency added: “We will continue to continually review the effectiveness of these controls to ensure the safety of our customers and staff.

“Remember to always be alert to passing trains at all times, listen to station announcements and make sure your bags and packages are close to your body.”