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Eli Skrypczak: Boy scout comforted dying truck driver after Missouri Amtrak crash, dad reveals

The driver's death was one of three fatalities from the collision, and dozens of people were hurt, including three adult leaders and one scout

Dan Skrypczak, the Scoutmaster of Appleton Troop 73, claimed in an interview on Monday night, June 27, that his 15-year-old son Eli Skrypczak sprinted to the driver's side of a truck that crashed with a train he was traveling in and found the driver lying in a ditch.

The Wisconsin boy scout on the Amtrak train that derailed in Missouri comforted the truck driver, according to Dan, who told The Post. "He's OK. He's shook now that the adrenaline has worn off," Dan spoke about his son Eli. "When we finally did talk to him, he was pretty upset, he wishes he could have done more. Just trying to explain to him, you get hit by a high speed train, nobody could've done much for the truck driver. He did everything he could, he did the right thing, he provided comfort and aid."

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Besides Eli, 15 other scouts and eight adult leaders were on board the train that was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago when it crashed into the truck at a signalized road crossing. According to Dan, who was not attending the trip, the two scout troops were returning to Wisconsin after a 10-day backcountry trek in New Mexico.

According to officials and Dan, the driver's death was one of three fatalities from the collision, and dozens of people were hurt, including three adult leaders and one scout. Onboard the train were 243 passengers as well as 12 staff members.

Dan claimed his son found the man in a ditch after first responders arrived and called for a state patrol officer. Despite their best efforts to stabilize him, the man died from his injuries. Dan remarked of his son, "He's a typical 15-year-old, he thinks he's Superman, should've been able to save this guy."

Later, as people were still being assisted off the train, a woman who seemed to know the driver and wanted to see the body arrived, according to Dan. "He said some lady was really upset and they wouldn't let her see the body … but that shook him up, too," he said.

Eli, a scout since the first grade, was one of many who rushed to assist passengers after the derailment, according to Dan. A few people were able to exit the train, and they immediately offered help in every manner they could. He was informed that the scouts were dispersed around the train, including in their seats, in the dining car, and on the observation deck.

According to Dan, one of the scouts was trapped in a train restroom for 35 minutes by the weight of a deceased passenger who was leaning on the door. He heard that some of the scouts assisted first responders in immobilizing individuals before loading them onto backboards and transporting them to ambulances.

"Any scout leader sees the kids staying calm and being part of the solution instead of the emergency itself, I think any scout leader would be proud of that," Dan stated. "And I am. I'm very, very happy about how they behaved, how they behaved in that situation. Obviously very sad that it happened and I can't wait to hug my kid."