Incident at Wandsworth Common 07/08/16

[Sunset route]

There was an incident on the road bridge approaching Eastbourne when a passenger leant too far out and was killed

That one happened right at the beginning of my railway (signalling) career, the local PWay had to slew the track over manually to be fir ther away from the bridge upright. The other one that I remember was about 15yrs back on Lewes bonfire night where not only did the person lean out of the window but tried to climb on to the roof of the moving train until a bridge came along. It wasn't a very good start for the signaller who had just passed out for their very first panel. Straight in at the deep end I suppose. But 3 on Suusex route in 30yrs is not good but with the older stock being replace there shouldn't be any more in the future.

Thoughts with the family and the witnesses.

 

[Deepgreen]

Utterly horrible for the family (assuming he had one) but probably instant and painless for the individual, whether actually decapitated or not. Extremely unfortunate, given the number of available droplights around these days. RIP.

 

[AlterEgo]

They did not. There was no other train involved. Couldn't have been more wrong in the fundamental details of the accident.

I was referring to the picture, not the editorial.

 

[tsr]

should we leave the sleuthing to the professionals?

Much will be investigated on an official basis but that post actually seems one of the most credible on this thread. I'm not saying it's correct but it seems like a decent suggestion which does not contradict official (not press) information.

I have seen a photo of the train at a stand at Wandsworth Common and the position of the motor coach corridor droplight, together with where the emergency services were working and where the train stopped, do suggest strongly to me that the deceased came into contact with a structure on the West side of the Up Fast somewhere North of Balham.

 

[J-2739]

Thing is I've also seen other things which state the poor guy was decapitated the poor man was in his 20's how awfully sad this is why people shouldn't window hang but I think we have all done it at some point!

I read news somewhere that his head was pulled off! I think this news should be used as a lesson for the regular doers not to literally put their head/body out of a moving train. The scare stories being shared around the web should be enough for some people to stop putting themselves in danger in this way forever. However, in this world, not everyone will listen to the consequences.

 

[74A]

Reading that Daily Mail story is a reminder to always be careful when you hear something from someone who heard it from someone else.

One onlooker called Rhianna, from Battersea, said his head 'flew off' and gave Wandsworth Radio a gruesome account of the incident, which was witnessed by two ladies on the platform.Rhianna says two ladies on the platform at Wandworth common told her his head came off.

This cannot have happened as we know that he hit a signal gantry some way before the station. Also BTP have made it clear he was not decapitated.

 

[Bromley boy]

Reading that Daily Mail story is a reminder to always be careful when you hear something from someone who heard it from someone else.

One onlooker called Rhianna, from Battersea, said his head 'flew off' and gave Wandsworth Radio a gruesome account of the incident, which was witnessed by two ladies on the platform.Rhianna says two ladies on the platform at Wandworth common told her his head came off.

This cannot have happened as we know that he hit a signal gantry some way before the station. Also BTP have made it clear he was not decapitated.

Yes I noticed that. The other possibility of course is that Rihanna is a figment of an overactive journalistic imagination.

It's in incredibly poor taste that the Mail and other papers feel the need to embellish the facts around a tragic event for the individual concerned and their family, and reminds me why I stick to the broadsheets!

 

[duffield]

Reading that Daily Mail story is a reminder to always be careful when you hear something from someone who heard it from someone else.

(To be clear, I'm not commenting on this specific incident, but on a general issue that it raises)

It's also a good reminder that 'eyewitness accounts' are not always correct. Often people are absolutely sure that they saw a specific thing occur (or a particular person doing something), but there is clear physical evidence that this was actually impossible. They're not lying, it's just that when something happens very quickly people can easily see things that didn't happen (e.g. the brain extrapolates and fills in 'missing data').

This is something to remember if you're ever on a jury - be wary of convicting on eyewitness evidence, no matter how convincing, unless supported by other evidence.

 

[bb21]

Reading that Daily Mail story is a reminder to always be careful when you hear something from someone who heard it from someone else.

One onlooker called Rhianna, from Battersea, said his head 'flew off' and gave Wandsworth Radio a gruesome account of the incident, which was witnessed by two ladies on the platform.Rhianna says two ladies on the platform at Wandworth common told her his head came off.

This cannot have happened as we know that he hit a signal gantry some way before the station. Also BTP have made it clear he was not decapitated.

Without saying too much, she was not entirely wrong either.

 

[Phil.]

Perhaps he'd been watching this film and thought he'd do the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ReXjRi6SsU

 

[gavin]

The sun are saying the man was in his 20's

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15693...TheSunNewspaper-_-20160808-_-News-_-539354879

 

[hwl]

Much will be investigated on an official basis but that post actually seems one of the most credible on this thread. I'm not saying it's correct but it seems like a decent suggestion which does not contradict official (not press) information.

I have seen a photo of the train at a stand at Wandsworth Common and the position of the motor coach corridor droplight, together with where the emergency services were working and where the train stopped, do suggest strongly to me that the deceased came into contact with a structure on the West side of the Up Fast somewhere North of Balham.

Yes but what given that almost everything is impossibly far back from the track, the closest object is possible the bridge over Balham High Road. Possibly a branch given growing conditions this year?

 

[QueensCurve]

The sun are saying the man was in his 20'shttps://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15693...TheSunNewspaper-_-20160808-_-News-_-539354879

BTP has tweeted an update:-

A man who sadly died at #Wandsworth yesterday has been identified as 24y/o from East Grinstead. Updated statement http://ow.ly/pCKe3031x9W

https://twitter.com/BTP/status/762597634662105088

 

[Deepgreen]

I can see, what looks like, quite a prominent stain (which I can only assume is blood) on the blue strip, next to the door indicator light (sorry if that's the wrong name for it) on the unit.

I think not, because that darker patch is ahead of the window in the direction of travel. However, there is a reddish patch on the vertical handrail just to the rear of the window/door.

 

[GB]

I think not, because that darker patch is ahead of the window in the direction of travel. However, there is a reddish patch on the vertical handrail just to the rear of the window/door.

He said by the door indicator light. He wasn't referring to the dark patch ahead of the window.

 

[RichardKing]

I think not, because that darker patch is ahead of the window in the direction of travel. However, there is a reddish patch on the vertical handrail just to the rear of the window/door.

Yeah, I see what you mean with regards to the stain on the handrail. However, the other stain that I'm on about is also to the rear of the window/door in the direction of travel (just to the right of the paramedic's shoulder who is leaning in the window).

 

[Deepgreen]

Yeah, I see what you mean with regards to the stain on the handrail. However, the other stain that I'm on about is also to the rear of the window/door in the direction of travel (just to the right of the paramedic's shoulder who is leaning in the window).

Yes - my apologies - I was looking at another image and it wasn't visible there. Looks strongly as though you are correct.

 

[RichardKing]

Yes - my apologies - I was looking at another image and it wasn't visible there. Looks strongly as though you are correct.

No worries!

Looking at it, I'm not surprised the unit wasn't sent via Victoria to Stewarts Lane (I believe it stopped just after Battersea Bridge and then shunted across the points towards Longhedge Junction and into SL). You wouldn't want passengers (who were aware of details of the incident) seeing that!

 

[30907]

There are some extremely tight clearances on the Brighton mainline, I'm not surprised that the old Connex slam door EMUs were fitted with window bars.

That was specifically for East Grinstead not the BML?

 

[WatcherZero]

The updated police statement has removed the decapitation denial.

 

[ilkestonian]

The updated police statement has removed the decapitation denial.

But from what I can see, they have not recinded that detail (still visible in the original statement), they have simply issued a second statement - an update - to give more information concerning the person involved.

 

[JonathanH]

Originally Posted by NSEFAN

There are some extremely tight clearances on the Brighton mainline, I'm not surprised that the old Connex slam door EMUs were fitted with window bars.

That was specifically for East Grinstead not the BML?

Only VEPs for East Grinstead electrification. The CIGs got window bars after a later incident IIRC involving Clayton Tunnel. Of course, once fitted, they could work to East Grinstead in their later years.

Southeastern units didn't get bars until the very late stages.

 

[yorksrob]

Only VEPs for East Grinstead electrification. The CIGs got window bars after a later incident IIRC involving Clayton Tunnel. Of course, once fitted, they could work to East Grinstead in their later years.

Southeastern units didn't get bars until the very late stages.

Most of the South Eastern units remained without window bars to the end.

 

[Dr_Paul]

Reading about this sad story, it came as news to me that there is stock still running today that actually has opening windows; I thought that this was something of the long-gone past.

The Mark 1 stock running out of Waterloo had bars put across the drop-light windows so that one could not poke one's head out of the window whilst still being able to put one's hand out to open the door by the external handle (there was no internal handle). I can't recall when this was done, but it was several years before they were withdrawn. There were always bars on the drop-light windows of the stock on the North London Line because of a very tight clearance somewhere -- I don't know precisely where -- and bars were fitted to the 2-EPBs when they were transferred there.

Were there any stock with opening windows running out of Waterloo these days and were somebody to poke his head out, even only slightly, between North Sheen and Mortlake, he'd get badly scratched, as the lineside bushes brush along the side of trains. This can't be doing the paintwork any good.

 

[Deepgreen]

Reading about this sad story, it came as news to me that there is stock still running today that actually has opening windows; I thought that this was something of the long-gone past.

The Mark 1 stock running out of Waterloo had bars put across the drop-light windows so that one could not poke one's head out of the window whilst still being able to put one's hand out to open the door by the external handle (there was no internal handle). I can't recall when this was done, but it was several years before they were withdrawn. There were always bars on the drop-light windows of the stock on the North London Line because of a very tight clearance somewhere -- I don't know precisely where -- and bars were fitted to the 2-EPBs when they were transferred there.

Were there any stock with opening windows running out of Waterloo these days and were somebody to poke his head out, even only slightly, between North Sheen and Mortlake, he'd get badly scratched, as the lineside bushes brush along the side of trains. This can't be doing the paintwork any good.

I believe all HSTs have opening windows (one has to use the outside handle to open the doors when released at stations), but the windows open at any speed (up to 125mph is common). Most loco-hauled stock has vestibule droplights in the doors similarly.

This year's vegetation growth has been quite exceptional I think, owing to the early summer's wet conditions, so there is a growing contrast between those areas where NR have 'blitzed' the linesides, and those where cutting hasn't happened and trains are more and more cutting their own way through!

 

[grid56126]

This cannot have happened as we know that he hit a signal gantry some way before the station.

I am genuinely intrigued to know how you know that for a fact.

 

[SPADTrap]

The updated police statement has removed the decapitation denial.

I doubt that is something that can change..I saw the internal reports from people first on the scene and decapitation was never mentioned, that came from a journalist's assumption based on misinformation, much like the Metro's facebook post of 'He died instantly' :roll:

 

[jopsuk]

Openable windows are still present all HSTs ( GWR, VTEC, MML, XC and GC), some Mark 3 hauled sets (all at AGA, the Banbury set at Chiltern, ATW) and the Mark 2 sets at AGA, Northern and Scotrail.

On all these trains the only way to open the doors from the inside is to lean out the window. This limits how much in the way of bars could be introduced to the windows.

The vast majority of those trains will be retired or modified to get powered doors in the next few years.

 

[GB]

As said by another poster, you do not need to lean out to open the doors from the inside. You just need one of your arms out.

 

[Master29]

As said by another poster, you do not need to lean out to open the doors from the inside. You just need one of your arms out.

And the train is always stationary before the doors are unlocked. As to it being another train, highly unlikely as stated by many on here given the distance involved