Auburn man rescued from railroad tracks buys new wheelchair

AUBURN, Ill. (AP) - A 75-year-old central Illinois man who was rescued from a railroad crossing last month has used nearly $2,000 in donations to purchase a new motorized wheelchair.

Earl Moorman of Auburn was rescued by 19-year-old Ashley Aldridge on Sept. 15 after his wheelchair got stuck on the railroad tracks. Aldridge was able to pull Moorman out of the chair and carry him to safety right before an Amtrak train speeding at 81 mph barreled through town.

The wheelchair was destroyed in the incident, but neither Moorman nor Aldridge was injured.

Moorman tells The (Springfield) State Journal-Register (http://bit.ly/1L76OmB ) that he recently purchased a replacement wheelchair for $1,800 using money donated to him through a fund established by Town and Country Bank.

A crowdfunding campaign benefiting Aldridge has raised more than $6,200.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com