Justin Lee, 37, of Strong City was flown to a Kansas City hospital this morning after receiving critical injuries to his legs in an accident at a grain elevator in Strong City.
One of Lee's legs was taken off below the knee in the accident, and the other was severely injured.
Chase County Sheriff Richard Dorneker said that Lee was working around the augur, while grain was being dumped into a chute and carried up into the storage bins.
Dorneker said that he has not been able to talk to Lee about the accident yet, but information has been pieced together from people at the scene.
"Apparently he stepped up under the side of the tray and was trying to motion to the driver ... to lift the bed," Dorneker said.
Lee apparently slipped off the side and slid into the area where the augurs meet and the U-joints come together.
"And he sustained significant critical injuries to his legs," Dorneker said.
Chase County Emergency Medical Services workers took Lee to Emporia, where they were met by a Emporia-Lyon County emergency medical crew with equipment to handle advanced life support transfers.
The Emporia crew took Lee to the Emporia Municipal Airport, and he was flown by fixed-wing to the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City. A spokesman for the hospital was not able to provide information about his condition shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
The accident was reported about 10:38 a.m. Wednesday. It occurred at auxiliary storage bins across Cottonwood Street from the Strong City's primary elevator complex.
Comments
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Posted by mythoughts (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 3:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What the heck is a "fixed-wing"?
Posted by barefootin (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 3:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
airplane
Posted by madpoet (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 3:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah, the helicopter stayed here for some reason. But we sure need that darn noisy thing.
Posted by shoehorn (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 4:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The article refers to today as well as Tuesday. If it happened this morning, the helicopter was not here, and yes, we do need that darn noisy thing.
Posted by vankamp (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 4:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Airplane or helicopter, we need to take a moment and pray for this young man and his family.
Posted by JustWondering (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 4:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is not surprising that the hospital did not have any information at 2 p.m. on Tuesday since the accident did not happen until 10:38 a.m. on Wednesday.
Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 5:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Boy, that headline is a bit misleading... Next time someone shouts, "Hold that elevator!" I'll reply, "Over my amputated leg, buddy!"
vankamp,
I agree. I don't mean to make light of this grave situation. I wish him a speedy recovery.
'enry
Posted by pizza (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 7:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What a sad situation. Only two of seven posters gave a damn about the serious injury sustained by this young man. What a bunch of cold, inconsiderate and stupid people. If this is typical of Emporia no wonder it is such an unpleasant place anymore.
Posted by Givemetoro (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 11:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Madpoet... we'll see what you think of that "noisy thing" if you're ever in a car accident or any other accident and NEED life flighted to save yourself...
Yeah... that "darn" noisy thing is SUCH a hassle on this community...
I wish a speedy recovery to Mr. Lee.
Posted by biscuitboy (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 7:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What madpoet is saying is "I don't care how it affects others as long as it doesn't rain on my little parade." Sadly....that's a very common attitude throughout our country these days....especially in politics.
Grain elevators are extremely dangerous even under the best of conditions. My best wishes for the young man.
Posted by madpoet (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 7:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I do care about the poor man. As soon as I heard about the accident on the radio, I stopped what I was doing and said a prayer for him and checked online to see if there was more information. I am saying they made a huge deal about the need for a helicopter but it can only transport certain patients. It can't do children or some really seriously injured patients. My point is, the helicopter is way over rated. I don't live by the hospital but know people who do. I lived by the hospital in my home town and got used to the noise so it wouldn't even wake me up. Helicopters are great in some cases but the hospital shoved it down everyone's throats.
Posted by create (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
God Bless this young man and his family. I can't even begin to imagine how painful this must be. If anything positive can be said about this very serious injury, it is that many leaps have been made in the past few years with regard to prosthetics.
With regard to the helicopter. My granddaughter had to be airlifted by that chopper after an auto accident and it is a precious thing indeed. We are lucky to have that "noisy thing." My house sits in its flight path and I say a silent prayer for whoever is on board everytime it flies over.
One thing to consider: Did they use a fixed wing because it would have been faster to KC? Just asking.
Posted by food4thought (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 10:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope the young man recovers quickly. In regards to the helicopter it can only fly in certain weather and wind speeds. So yesterday was probably to windy so a fixed wing was used to get him there quickly and safely. The helicopter is worth every noise and penny if it is your loved one on it. For the ones of you complaining about it please sign a petition to never use it and we will leave it at the emergency room and if you happen to need it for a terrible accident or a heart attack we will remind you that it is to noisy and you dislike it so we will rush you at 65mph to the nearest qualified hospital to take care of your injuries and wish you good luck!
Posted by gabby (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 10:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree Create, those "noisy thing" are precious. I have the same thoughts as you when I hear them.
'enry....you can change your name, but, you can't hide behind it..Your snarky, nasty post gave you away.. crapinpants.
god helps us if there's more than one like you.
My heart goes out to Justin Lee, and his family. I hope the Gazette will keep the community posted on his condition.
Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 11:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
gabby,
I don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about... Why don't you just go back to Colorado if you can't play nice?
Have a wonderful day.
'enry
Posted by Beo_Saoirse (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I took a ride on that noisy helicopter once not so long ago. I can't tell you how happy I was to see it waiting for me outside the ER door.
Henry, to think that I used to like your comments, even when you were Crack. But now....after your really pathetic attempt at humor....not so much.
Posted by neighbor (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope Mr Lee recovers from the ordeal, he'll need help and support from his friends, family and community.
"Apparently he stepped up under the side of the tray and was trying to motion to the driver ... to lift the bed,"
Injuries most often occur when people are doing the same thing they often have done many times before, but ran out of luck.
Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 1:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Beo_Saoirse,
I don't know what you mean by "even when you were Crack", but I'll try to respond in kind. I've always liked your comments even when you were Crevasse. How does that feel?
All I was saying is that the headline could have been more accurate... Like this one:
http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/2009/...
My “pathetic attempt at humor” was simply what popped into my head when I read the headline. Heaven forbid I say what’s on my mind…
'enry
Posted by Beo_Saoirse (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 2:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Henry, if you aren't the infamous Crackinsack (with whom I agreed on the smoking ban), than you are his/her twin. The style of writing is too similar to be coincidence. Your attempt at humor was in very poor taste and was made at the expense of someone who was suffering from life-treatening trauma and whose family is going through Hell. Would you have been willing to say it to their faces? I would bet not. And if not, why say it here?
Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Beo_Saoirse,
My attempt at humor may have been in poor taste, but it wasn't at Justin's expense. If anything, it was at the Gazette's expense for coming up with such an obscure headline.
I guess I'm just around human elevators more than grain elevators. I don't know about you, but I've often wondered what would happen if the safety feature on the elevator door failed while you tried to stop the doors from closing with your arm or leg. I saw the headline and figure it had finally happened...
I might say it to their faces if I knew them well enough; it might lighten the mood. I suppose you're right, however. I should have just kept my mouth shut. When will I ever learn?
'enry
Posted by madpoet (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree that the helicopter is a valuable tool. I don't agree with how the hospital ran rough shod over everyone to get it. They made out that it was the end all of medical transportation. I was trying to point out that sometimes the helicopter can't be used. I too, say a prayer every time I see the medical helicopter go north over our home to Topeka since I know someone is in a bad state. My complaint was not against the helicopter but Newman's attitude. Sorry if I offended anyone, that was not my intention.
Posted by orlando (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 6:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I understood that the helicopter couldn't be used because of the weather.
Posted by Beo_Saoirse (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 6:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wasn't here when the hospital ran "rough shod" over everyone to the get the helicopter. I'm just glad they did.
Posted by Joe_Strummer (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 6:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Beo...they didn't run rough shod as madpoet suggests. He's bitter for some reason.
Posted by chiefsfan (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 7:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My thoughts and prayers also go out to this young man and his family. But with the right attitude he will overcome this obstacle. As someone stated, they have made HUGE advances with prosthesis, his life is in no way ended by this tragedy. Not to say he doesn't have a long road of recovery ahead of him, but an amputation is not the end all anymore. Good luck to Mr. Lee and his family.
Posted by Beo_Saoirse (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 10:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks, Joe, for the information.
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