Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Australian youth convicted after being clipped by express train

Footage has been released showing the terrifying moment a boy ran in front of a speeding train. The footage, released by Transport South Australia, was taken from inside the driver's cabin of the train which narrowly missed the youth as he sprinted across tracks at the Mawson Lakes interchange on April 11 this year.

The youth emerged from behind a stationary train into the path of a Gawler-bound express train travelling at 90km/h. He was clipped by the train, narrowly avoiding serious injury. Services were stopped for two hours while the incident was investigated. The youth in the video was convicted in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on August 16, on counts of stopping a train and impeding the proper operation of a passenger transport service.


YouTube link.

He was ordered to undertake community service and write a letter of apology to the driver of the train. Acting South Australian Rail Commissioner Peter Doggett said the youth's conviction reflected the serious nature of trespassing incidents and the difference between the youth's minor injuries and death was a matter of millimetres.

''Such incidents cause significant distress not only to witnesses, but to our drivers who have no course of action other than to pull up their train as quickly as possible which can often take hundreds of metres, and hope they don't hit someone,'' he said. ''Near-misses can cause as much stress and trauma to a driver as serious injury or fatal incidents.''

1 comment:

Eve said...

Dear lord, the poor driver.