Girl, 15, killed at Bishops Stortford railway crossing (28 January 2012)

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has now published its report into a fatal accident at Kings Mill No.1 level crossing, near Mansfield, on 2 May 2012, in which the wearing of earphones by the deceased may have been a factor:

Summary

At around 16:32 hrs on 2 May 2012, a cyclist who was using the footpath and bridleway level crossing at Kings Mill, near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, was struck and fatally injured by a passenger train travelling at about 56 miles per hour (90 kilometres per hour).

The cyclist rode over the crossing into the path of the train. He was unaware of the train^s approach, probably because he had not looked towards it after passing through the gate protecting the crossing and he was wearing earphones, which probably prevented him from hearing warnings sounded by the train^s horn.

[EBrown]

This in particular is a sad paragraph to read.

The RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) has investigated two accidents in which people who may have been
wearing earphones have been struck, with fatal consequences, by trains or
trams: at Morden Hall Park crossing on the London Tramlink system (Croydon) on
13 September 2008, which also involved a cyclist (RAIB report 06/2009), and at
Johnson^s footpath crossing, near Bishop^s Stortford on 28 January 2012 (RAIB
report 27/2012). 

Network Rail are certainly trying to reduce these incidents involving headphones. Sadly with limited success.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/rNRkZd34uhE

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Train death Katie Littlewood 'did not look' at crossing


Katie Littlewood was on her way to a Saturday job at a charity shop

A shocked train driver saw a teenager "walk out without looking" moments before she was struck by the London to Cambridge train, an inquest has heard.

Katie Littlewood, 15, of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, died instantly at the town's Johnson's Footpath Crossing on 28 January 2012.

Hertfordshire Coroner's Court heard she appeared to think the route was clear.

Coroner Edward Thomas said he suspected Katie had been listening to her iPod, which was found nearby.

Katie's father Simon Littlewood said it was "not typical" of her not to pay attention and asked for the family's sympathies to be passed on to the driver. He told the hearing he wanted the death "to act as a warning to everybody" and stressed that "the trauma caused to everybody else is substantial".

The inquest heard Katie had been exchanging text messages with friends minutes before her death.

The driver of the train repeatedly asked in the aftermath of the accident: "Why didn't she look?", the inquest in Hatfield heard. Steven Trumm told an off-duty police officer, a passenger on the train, that Katie only turned around at the last minute, when it was too late.

The inquest was told Mr Trumm was "visibly shaken and in a state of shock" as he said to the police officer: "She just walked out without looking. She's a young girl about my daughter's age, about 20 or 21. It's the second time it's happened to me."

As instructed by Mr Thomas, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. He said: "Everything I read about Katie was that she was a lovely girl. She was obviously doing extremely well. I suspect she had her earphones in and I suspect she wanted to get on."

Signs at the crossing warned pedestrians it was only safe to cross when there was a green light. There was also what the coroner described as "an audible warning", but he added: "Of course, if people have earphones they won't hear it."

All warning systems were operating correctly at the time of Katie's accident.

A footbridge, which had been discussed following a woman's death at the crossing in 2002, was installed after the crossing closed at the end of last year.

[bobm]

Without doubt an awful tragedy for the family but you have to feel for the driver if it was his second incident of this type.  The fact the family wished to pass on their thoughts to him may offer some comfort.  Hopefully he has been able to get behind the controls.