Mother of three loses both her legs in train accident - now she insists she does not know how it happened

By RACHEL BOWMAN, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:23, 7 May 2026 | Updated: 16:24, 7 May 2026 A woman who had both of her legs amputated after being struck by a train does not know how she ended up on the tracks. Sonja Celius, 48, was making a 'quick stop' in Phoenix, Arizona, when she was hit by a train shortly before 9am local time on April 25.  She was found with life-threatening injuries near the train tracks at 27th Avenue and Thomas Road, and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, Fox 10 reported. Celius, who is from Nevada, lost both of her lower limbs in the incident, her family revealed on a GoFundMe page.  Nearly two weeks later, Phoenix police are still investigating the collision, and Celius' family said no one knows why or how she got onto the train tracks.  'I didn't really know what to say or think. All of us cried for multiple days. I was just devastated,' her daughter, Kayla Hicklen, 27, told AZ Family. 'Honestly, probably one of the most traumatizing pieces of news to receive in my life.' Celius is a mother of three, and her youngest son is 16. Hicklen said her mother is expected to survive, but has a long recovery ahead.   Sonja Celius, 48, was making a 'quick stop' in Phoenix, Arizona , when she was hit by a train Police are still investigating the collision, and Celius' family said no one knows why or how she got onto the train tracks Celius is a mother of three, and her youngest son is 16. Hicklen said her mother is expected to survive, but has a long recovery ahead 'I think that this has changed everyone's lives in a very significant way,' Hicklen said. 'She's a walking miracle, but it is so devastating to know that my mother will never walk again.' The intersection where Celius was hit was previously listed by the city of Phoenix for safety improvement, AZ Family reported. The Federal Railroad Administration has also flagged the intersection as high-risk. The Daily Mail contacted the Phoenix Police Department for more information.  Celius' family launched a GoFundMe to help with her medical expenses and provide transportation for her children to travel from Nevada to Arizona.   'She was in a horrific accident, struck by a train, and has lost both of her lower limbs,' the fundraiser read. 'She is currently being hospitalized in Phoenix, AZ, and all three of her children live out of state.' 'This GoFundMe is to support our travel expenses, our mother’s care, and most importantly, to provide any and all support for her youngest son who is still 16, providing him stability in these crucial years of his life and development,' it added. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.