Thursday, May 27, 2010

Driver praised after baby survives pram being struck by train

The train driver who slammed on the emergency brakes as a baby in a pram tumbled into his path says he was thinking of his granddaughter as the near-tragedy unfolded. Amazingly, the 15-month-old boy suffered only scratches after being dragged face down along a track for 10m.

The split-second drama happened when his grandmother looked away and the pram rolled off the platform at Tooronga station, Australia. Driver Steve Ryan, who jammed on the brakes then pulled the baby from under the train, said it was a miracle he was alive.



"It's got me buggered how he survived," Mr Ryan said. "I just jumped in and started doing it on instinct because of my granddaughter.

"I have a granddaughter the same age, so that was the first thought that ran through my head. I certainly gave my kids a hug when I got home." Mr Ryan said drivers were trained to cope with emergencies but there was a "lot of luck" in yesterday's escape.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Second time that's happened at the same station! How hard is it to put the brake on the buggy to stop it rolling? How hard is it just to keep hold?

L said...

Why do people think it's okay to let go of a buggy near moving trains?

Dumbasses.

rikster said...

I suppose they will be installing a safety floor rail along the edge of the platform now...