Utah Teen Survived Spain Train Crash

Stephen Ward, 18, was a Train Crash Survivor
and discusses incident with CNN reporter

A coruna, SPAIN - Stephen Ward is an 18yr old survivor of the Spanish Train Wreck that happened in Santiago de Compostela.  "I've have nothing that is going to be permanent or is going to not heal on its own"  "I have contacted my family, they are very happy to hear from me." As he his interviewed, CNN shows recaps of the incident caught on surveillance cameras.  

Ward was asked by CNN journalist that he "blacked out"  He said "I thought it was a dream for a couple of minutes...."  He said the train suddenly left the rails as "luggages fell off the racks."  When he realized the catastrophe of the incident after hearing the screaming and seeing the smoke, he said he had a "scary realization" that "this was real."  Ward described that people were trying to get people out as fast as they can.  He said he suffered a concussion and did at one point felt the train as moving too fast.  It was recently reported that the train was traveling at speeds of 180 mph. 


Ward was also known to battle and conquer a prior form of cancer called Berkus Lymphoma, a rare form of cancer is an intestinal form of cancer.  He says he has conquered that and glad to survive another brush with death. Ward stated he was in Spain on a service fellowship mission trip on missions to represent the Mormon church.  He said despite the incident he is thankful he is alive and wants to continue to serve missions in Spain for about 2 years.