Student survives London blast
Knoxville, Tenn. - A University of Tennessee student attends her first year of veterinary college this fall after recovering injuries sustained in the bombing of London's subway system.
KNOXVILLE, TENN. — A University of Tennessee student attends her first year of veterinary college this fall after recovering injuries sustained in the bombing of London's subway system.
Tennessee native Katie Benton, 21, and her younger sister Emily were sightseeing in London when a blast ripped through the subway car they were riding. More than 700 people were injured and 55 died in the July 7 bombings of three subway cars and a double-decker bus.
As the only Americans severely injured in the terrorist attacks, both women sustained lacerations. Katie suffers permanent damage in her right ear. Her sister broke her hand and foot.
In an interview with DVM Newsmagazine, Katie describes her experience as "horrific" yet she's thankful to be alive and plans to continue on the path to becoming a veterinarian.
"I'm still as eager to travel and to be as many places as I ever have been, and I'm going back to London in 2012 for the Olympics," she says. "I am going back to school Aug. 24, and both of us seem to be full-steam ahead toward recovery."
