Police officer hit by train near Newark (24/08/23)

[Pete_uk]

I'm Mobile so I hope I do this right

A police officer is in a critical condition in hospital after being hit by a train as he attempted to save a distressed man on the tracks.

Nottinghamshire Police were called to the line near Newark Northgate station at about 19:00 BST on Thursday over concerns for a man's safety.

The force said during the incident, the officer was hit by a train, while a man suffered non life-threatening electrocution injuries.

Nottinghamshire Police officer hit by train while helping man

The officer is in a critical condition in hospital after trying to save a man on the railway lines.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Horizon22]

It’s not uncommon for the civil police to get onto the track without permission sadly - this is why the BTP are always preferential as they know the rules around track access. If the man was distressed or otherwise, the signaller obviously needs the first call.

Hopefully this officer can recover.

 

[357]

Naturally feeling for the driver involved and any other staff who had to become involved in the situation.

However I can't help but think that this is typical of the police attitude over the many years I worked on stations. I was threatened with arrest once for trying to stop the Met Police accessing the track without any block or authorisation.

 

[Zontar]

Awful news. Thoughts with all those concerned

 

[800001]

It’s not uncommon for the civil police to get onto the track without permission sadly - this is why the BTP are always preferential as they know the rules around track access. If the man was distressed or otherwise, the signaller obviously needs the first call.

Hopefully this officer can recover.

A very traumatic and distressing night for all involved at Newark last night.
2 people seriously injured, thoughts are with those and all who helped at the scene.

 

[TPO]

Having read the logs, I suggest we all wish the officer the best recovery possible, and that the police service continues to support the officer and any family they have in the long term as well as the immediate aftermath. There will no doubt be lessons for the non-BTP police services, but as ever such lessons need to be learned in a context of calm reflection and appraisal of all the facts, without anecdotal criticisms or blame.

In the same way I am sure we all wish the railway staff and first responders involved recover fully, and are supported whilst they do so.

TPO

 

[D6130]

Very sad....but, as others have intimated, the civil police are often a law unto themselves and have little or no knowledge of railway safety rules and procedures. Twice in my 20 year driving career I unexpectedly came across civil police officers wandering around on the track looking for suspects and not wearing any form of high-visibility clothing. One wonders whether this incident was reported by a member of the public who witnessed the distressed man from outside the railway boundary, rather than by a railway source.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Unless the officer was actually on the scene and threat to life was imminent the initial call (if reported accurately) should not have been handled by the civil police.

Edit. I had assumed it was a phone call. It may not have been.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Very sad....but, as others have intimated, the civil police are often a law unto themselves and have little or no knowledge of railway safety rules and procedures. Twice in my 20 year driving career I unexpectedly came across civil police officers wandering around on the track looking for suspects and not wearing any form of high-visibility clothing. One wonders whether this incident was reported by a member of the public who witnessed the distressed man from outside the railway boundary, rather than by a railway source.

Presumably had the report come from within the railway, all trains would be running under caution? (apologies if my terminology is off).

 

[Monkeyhead]

I was caught up in the disruption caused by this at KX last night - was meant to be on the 2100 to York, and after assessing the options, including a standing EMR to Sheffield with no onward connection, or a trip including a 1.5 hour stay in Manchester Piccadilly, followed by a trip via Brighouse arriving at York at 5.10am, I decided to get a Premier Inn. Though the staff at KX did a really good job dealing with the barrage of questions from all manner of travellers. Felt particularly sorry for those travelling with young kids. Hope the casualties make a recovery and the driver is ok.....

 

[TPO]

Might I suggest that speculation about specifically what happened is not helpful. Those who need to know the sequence of events know them (and won't be discussing them on a public forum). The relevant inquiries will bring any lessons to light, and the learning will be shared where and how appropriate.

That's why lessons need to be learnt in calm reflection. It's easy to be wise after the event....

TPO

 

[357]

should not have been handled by the civil police.

In my experience the Met would turn up to anything that sounded interesting when reported via the 999 system. When BTP were hours away and it was a drunk person who had soiled themselves, we wouldn't even be able to get the officers standing outside the station to come inside.

 

[TreacleMiller]

Might I suggest that speculation about specifically what happened is not helpful. Those who need to know the sequence of events know them (and won't be discussing them on a public forum). The relevant inquiries will bring any lessons to light, and the learning will be shared where and how appropriate.

That's why lessons need to be learnt in calm reflection. It's easy to be wise after the event....

TPO

This.

 

[Master29]

Might I suggest that speculation about specifically what happened is not helpful. Those who need to know the sequence of events know them (and won't be discussing them on a public forum). The relevant inquiries will bring any lessons to light, and the learning will be shared where and how appropriate.

That's why lessons need to be learnt in calm reflection. It's easy to be wise after the event....

TPO

Don't you think we don't already know this. It's as always a certainty that people will give a post about Thoughts concerned, lessons will be learned and let's refrain from speculation. We are all adult enough to know about sucking eggs. If there isn't some of the above, what are we supposed to do. People don't come here just to here thoughts to all those concerned. They rightly want to know things. We should all be compassionate and understand what has happened but can't do this if we are told "not to speculate etc. Of course we are concerned but what then is the point of this thread?

 

[rich.davies]

Apologies if this requires a seperate thread but, just out of interest, i had to report a trespasser on the line, who walked up the Network Rail engineering access steps, to get through the gaps on a nearby over bridge.
The first thing i did is ring the police, should the BTP have been my 1st port call?
This happened at least a half a mile or so away from the station.

*Police arrived, checked the area via the same way, trains passed by slowly, trespasser however could not be located so it was assumed he went down the otherside of the embankment.

 

[357]

The first thing i did is ring the police, should the BTP have been my 1st port call?

999 pass incidents to both local police and BTP at the same time.

 

[rich.davies]

999 pass incidents to both local police and BTP at the same time.

Ah okay. Thanks

 

[Surreytraveller]

999 pass incidents to both local police and BTP at the same time.

And they get passed to the railway as well, hence the trains being cautioned

Don't you think we don't already know this. It's as always a certainty that people will give a post about Thoughts concerned, lessons will be learned and let's refrain from speculation. We are all adult enough to know about sucking eggs. If there isn't some of the above, what are we supposed to do. People don't come here just to here thoughts to all those concerned. They rightly want to know things. We should all be compassionate and understand what has happened but can't do this if we are told "not to speculate etc. Of course we are concerned but what then is the point of this thread?

This

 

[w0033944]

It’s not uncommon for the civil police to get onto the track without permission sadly - this is why the BTP are always preferential as they know the rules around track access. If the man was distressed or otherwise, the signaller obviously needs the first call.

Hopefully this officer can recover.

Yes, I can fully understand the officer wanting to attend the the man, but...

 

[furnessvale]

Yes, I can fully understand the officer wanting to attend the the man, but...

Police are also instructed NOT to enter water to save a drowning person, but they do.

 

[spark001uk]

News says trespasser had suffered electrocution injuries. If OHLE contact, would they have even survived?

 

[The Puddock]

News says trespasser had suffered electrocution injuries. If OHLE contact, would they have even survived?

I've dealt with around ten incidents where someone has come into contact with live OLE and out of them only four were fatal.

 

[spark001uk]

I've dealt with around ten incidents where someone has come into contact with live OLE and out of them only four were fatal.

Ah OK, thanks. I always thought one zap from that and you were gone. Guessing duration, resistance to ground, etc. all play a part (but that's for another thread)

 

[zwk500]

Ah OK, thanks. I always thought one zap from that and you were gone. Guessing duration, resistance to ground, etc. all play a part (but that's for another thread)

People get struck by lightning and survive - but it's a rather high-stakes game of chance that you don't know the odds on.

 

[Iskra]

My sister was caught up in one of the trains behind this last night, which luckily reversed and was then platformed at a station. From her reports it sounded like it was handled as well as it could be both onboard and at the stations, with the TOC trying but failing to arrange road transport and then instead letting the train continue forwards (eventually) and paying for a taxi home at the destination station as all public transport had long ended by that point.

 

[Swimbar]

Yes, I can fully understand the officer wanting to attend the the man, but...

There appears to be a presumption by many on this thread that the BTP are readily available if required.
This might be the case in the Met area but having served in the civil police, in rural areas, for all my service they were normally at least an hour away if required.
Thus action had to be taken immediately if a life was to be saved.

 

[Llanigraham]

There appears to be a presumption by many on this thread that the BTP are readily available if required.
This might be the case in the Met area but having served in the civil police, in rural areas, for all my service they were normally at least an hour away if required.
Thus action had to be taken immediately if a life was to be saved.

The first action therefore should have been to stop all trains, and get the power turned off, which would be done if Control were informed.
And from some of the pictures shown this occured at or near a level crossing where an emergency contact number would have been stated.

 

[800001]

The first action therefore should have been to stop all trains, and get the power turned off, which would be done if Control were informed.
And from some of the pictures shown this occured at or near a level crossing where an emergency contact number would have been stated.

And hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Many things could have been done differently, and this will all come out in the investigation that will currently be underway.

Sadly an officer has life changing injuries, for doing their job, and attempting to save life.

 

[GardenRail]

This, unfortunately, is a very regular problem. Police Officers taking it upon themselves to go on to the live railway, and the Signaller and Drivers being totally unaware. Happens all too regularly.

 

[Horizon22]

There appears to be a presumption by many on this thread that the BTP are readily available if required.
This might be the case in the Met area but having served in the civil police, in rural areas, for all my service they were normally at least an hour away if required.
Thus action had to be taken immediately if a life was to be saved.

Yes action might have been needed immediately but the absolute first immediate step should have been an emergency call to the controlling signaller.

And hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Many things could have been done differently, and this will all come out in the investigation that will currently be underway.

Sadly an officer has life changing injuries, for doing their job, and attempting to save life.

I don’t think this is a hindsight issue. Local police forces regularly do this and you’d have expected by now even the bare minimum of training for just one thing: Do not go on the track under any circumstances without permission.