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Lauren Scruggs lost her left hand and suffered severe facial injuries Saturday night.
Updated at 6:27 p.m. ET: Friends say Lauren Scruggs is now resting in intensive care with her family after further surgery Monday.
Original post: A Dallas-area model and editor lost her left hand and fractured her skull after she walked into the propeller of a small airplane following a flight to view Christmas lights over the weekend.
Lauren Scruggs, 23, of Plano was in serious condition Monday at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas after the incident Saturday night. Scruggs, a fashion model, founded and edits LoLo Magazine.
Scruggs landed at Aero Country Airport in the McKinney area, about 30 miles from Dallas, about 9:30 p.m. Saturday after viewing North Texas Christmas lights from a small private airplane, The Dallas Morning News reported. The pilot wasn't hurt.
A family friend, Janeé Harrell, said Scruggs was struck on the left side of her body.
"Following multiple surgeries, Lauren has received facial and shoulder reconstruction, as well as the loss of her hand," Harrell said in a statement on a website set up by Scruggs' family and friends.
Scruggs is responding to voice commands and is able to move her legs and arms, according to an update posted on the site Monday morning.
More news and feature stories from msnbc.com:
Yikes! That is terrible! .. okay here come the inappropiate blond jokes no doubt.. :-/
Well, if there any such jokes, you share the blame for bringing it up.
Naww.. someone will take it there anyways. Seriously though, the article doesn't give us enough information. I have a hard time believing she would walk into the path of the rotating blades. I honestly feel sorry for her.
As in this model was walking on the wrong runway?
No, in all seriousness though, this is tragic. Such a beautiful woman who's life is probably built around her beautiful appearance will now have to go through the physical and extremely mental adjustments of not being what she once was. Like think about it, her face was maimed, and also her left hand was severed. Both professions of her's are pretty much gone unless she can adapt to typing with just her right hand (which is highly possible don't get me wrong).
I truly feel pain for this young beautiful woman. May she heal well, and may she find peace of mind which will be her most difficult struggle IMO.
Maybe it happened something like this?
Man sucked into jet engine
Bebop - I saw that video and read the article when it happened. Part of that guy's clothing got caught on something protruding from inside the jet and kept him from getting sucked into the blades.
@Crash into your face
Your comment just proves that you don't have to be a blond to be dumb; assuming you're not blond, of course!
I'm a natural blue-eyed blond, and my hair is totally dark brown on other parts of my anatomy, including my eyebrows and eyelashes.
Go figure - huh?!
Um, do you know anything more about your personal computer/laptop than where the power button and keyboard is located and how to access the Internet? There are numerous programs available which allow you to interact with not only your computer, but the operating system, programs, and <gasp> even the keyboard via voice recognition/control. Initially these programs were hard to work with and not user friendly, but the field has greatly improved. If you're willing to part with some serious pocket change, or be the recipient of a grant (which is something she will easily qualify for) there are some incredible voice recognition programs available.
Just thought you should know this since we are currently living in the age of technology where the possibilities are endless.
What a shame. I wonder if they can re-attach the hand.
Seriously doubt it was a clean cut. Not with a prop spinning at several hundred RPM.
Have you seen something go through a propeller? There's probably no way the hand can be reattached. Perehaps she can get a hand transplant, though. What a pity. I think in this case she should sue the fill in the blank off the pilot for not shutting the plane down before letting her off the plane.
I really Wouldn't count on that. I was a flight attendant, and it was commonplace for individuald to have to walk around the props. Basically it is common sense, or lack of that was here at work. Not the pilots fault. Sometimes we had to do turn-arounds and take off again for the next destination. If the passengers when following the ramp agents directions, or the path back to the entrance of the airport she would haven't been near enough to the props. Also, I believe this incident, as that is what it is called, I have seen it happen. And there was no lawsuit, no negligence on the airline. I'm sorry but I think she was not paying attention as there are rampies as I mentioned that direct you all the way to the passenger gate, even at night they all use flashlights!!!
You're assuming the prop was going at full speed, though. From the description, the plane had landed and the prop was probably winding down when the incident occurred.
That is a real tragedy. I hope she is going to be o.k. Sounds like the aircraft folks needed to be giving a little better guidance. Props that are up to rpm are virtually invisible, let alone at night. Hang in there kiddo!
I wish for her speedy recovery
I guess no one told her to stay away from the big spinny thing. Sorry, had to say it. I'm not familiar with private flights, is it common to let passengers out before the engine is shut down?
In this case it probably was, either the pilot was picking up another group to go back up or was letting them off so he could taxi to parking.
I heard about a similar event in St. Croix where a stewardess on a twin otter, stooped to pick up a boarding pass a woman dropped and stuck her head in the prop arc.
Tragic for anyone.
Hang in there and get well soon.
Not really sure about the rules or anything buy it sounds like the pilot or maybe ground crew would be at fault for letting it happen. Unless she is a pilot or something..
Pilot's fault on this one. Very sad.
Why is it always someone else's fault? There is no personal responsibility anymore.
The pilot of a small aircraft stays at the controls. He/she could have said "Make sure you walk out to the side of the plane."
I walked into a stationary prop of a C-130, thank the good Lord it wasn't rotating.
Hoping for a full recovery.
Ouch. I can go one better(or worse). I walked into a stationary B-52, just outboard of the tip tank. Wham! Out went the lights. My only explaination to my laughing sergeant? " Sarge, it's a D-model, 11 at night and the hard stand lights were out". He kept laughing. I'm less clumsy now, but not much.
I once walked into a bar...
People have to remember, when you exit an aircraft with props you always go out to the wingtip and walk around the front at about the same distance. (even if the prop has stopped)
An aircraft is NOT like a car.
you would think the pilot would have given her a hand negotiating around the aircraft.
Not if he/she kept the engine running.
That would have been bad. You don't leave the plane unattended with the engine running.
She should however have been given good instructions on how to properly disembark.
Usually you have to be more subtle but...
Her life will change forever. People make tragic mistakes with tragic results. Her life need not be a waste. We teach the lessons we learn.
Tada! Master of the obvious!
Very sad. I hope this young woman is able to find peace in knowing that, in spite of what happened, that she survived this terrible accident.
Whomever was operating that plane wasnt very mindful of their passenger. She should have been well warned to stay away from the prop. Unless of course she was warned, and ignored it. Somehow I think she probably wasnt though. I wouldnt be surprised if theres a lawsuit, if thats the case.
I hope she recovers and things arent as bad as they sound for her. Best wishes.
You libs just love your lawsuits.
I think she'll be ok. Anyone that can do the things she has at such a young age can handle just about anything.
She is a beautiful smart young girl. My heart goes out to her, With the right help she appears to be intellegent to bring her self back to fame. look at the woman in California who was shot through the head.
More power to miss Scruggs.
And look at her journey through he### I feel for Ms. Scruggs.
Critics of Society-- I am not sure if you act like a jerk to provoke responses to your absurd comments or if you are just a sad, lonely excuse for a human being who finds humor in others who are suffering. Either way, you are simply pathetic. But you already know this.
P.S. You say that "sometimes people like her unleash offspring into this world". For all of our sakes, I hope that you arent unleashing your offspring into the world.
Not everyone has to agree, I think he(she) makes some good points.
That sucks, shes gonna see how hard life is for ugly people now... so I hear..
Deboarding a small prop plane is totally different then what your used to at the airports...On Tour groups usually the engines are not shut down due to the quick turn around times in flights...Blaming the pilot is just akin to saying it's the planes fault...The pilot usually is busy doing flight plan, tower communications, and a new pre-flight...Typically before going in the air a breifing of flight and emergency procedures are covered in which most tend to ignore or forget they even saw or heard as they board...This falls under an accident plain and simple, and yes maybe some review of FAA standards for small hoppers such as guided tours needs to be reviewed...It is not always predictable of what is going to happen when you mix in-experience groups and heavy machinery...Recovery is such a mind trial, I wish her prayers and Godspeed...Nothing will ever be the same, however may she be able to recover to be happy in life, Screw the Career...
I have heard of this happening one other time in my 60 years. My Mom, as a Navy nurse in WWII, was being reassigned to another south Pacific island with several other Navy nurses. One of them walked smack dab into the propeller of a plane and was killed. My Mom said she was drunk.
That critic guy above me eats peed on cheerios or something!...ROFL!
Giffords has not recovered either. She is alive, bit of a difference. About as smart as a two year old at this point.
People these days have no sense. Flying in a airplane to look at christmas lights wasting precious fuel while others can barely afford gas to get to work ? Shameful ! God obviously agrees, hes trying to teach a lesson about gluttony !
We're free to do what we want with our airplanes. I enjoy going to get a "$100 hamburger" or pancake breakfast every now and then.
Jim, mind keeping your shameful superstition and its even more shameful effects on human empathy and sympathy to yourself? Here is a strong, vital person who has been dealt a severe blow by an uncaring universe and you choose to display your crippled humanity to the rest of us. Certainly you are more injured than she would be even if the accident had been fatal. It will not be your evil fantasy that justifies mass murder that will heal her, it will be her own human spirit and the help and support of the other humans around her. If I had something worth praying to, my prayer would be that she has no "good" people like you around her to poison her recovery. How do you even live?
Its obvious something failed here, usually the pilot will keep the doors closed until the props have stopped spinning, OR ground crew will be on hand to escort a passenger from the door to the holding area.....this is even true for experienced military personnel..flight deck rules.
Wow, how tragic .... I hope for a speedy recovery!
There's no chance ofa speedy recovery!
Poor kid. She looks tough, though, and sounds as though she had her head on straight before this trajedy. She'll overcome it and turn it into something good is my bet. The pilot shouldn't have let her out until the prop stopped but what matter that, really. The second most horrifying thing next to something like this happening to you must be witnessing and feeling responsible for it. She still breathes and responds and, if her brain is intact, will whip up some powerful lemonade, I have no doubt. Go, Girl!