Brisbane woman Visaya Hoffie lost both her legs in a horrific accident in New York's subway.

A young Brisbane artist has lost both her legs in a horrific freak accident on the New York subway, with her bright pink top contributing to her survival.

Artist Visaya Hoffie is in intensive care – with her mother, Professor Pat Hoffie, by her side – after tripping onto subway tracks earlier this month and being run over by the train's seven carriages.

Ms Hoffie suffered head injuries, fractured vertebrae, and a "sheared" vertebral artery. Both her lower legs were amputated.

Her mother posted an update to social media on January 17 saying Ms Hoffie had undergone multiple operations but no longer required breathing support and was eating and talking.