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Seven
people died and dozens were injured, eleven of them seriously, after
a train heading for Devon crashed on a level crossing in Berkshire.
Among the seven people killed were train driver Stanley Martin, 54,
from Barton in Torquay, and 14-year-old Emily Webster from Moretonhampstead.
The 1735 Paddington to Plymouth First Great Western service hit a
car on an automated level crossing just after six o'clock on Saturday
6th November.
About 300 passengers were on board the train which was thought to
be travelling at high speed after stopping at Reading.
The impact derailed all eight carriages and several fell on to their
sides.
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| Train
driver Stanley Martin |
First
Great Western has paid tribute to Mr Martin, a driver with 30 years'
experience.
Managing
Director Alison Forster said: "Stan will be sadly missed by everyone
in the company and especially his colleagues in the South West."
The train drivers' union Aslef said Mr Martin was "an extremely experienced
and professional driver" and a long-standing member of the union.
Aslef acting general secretary Keith Norman said that on-board data
recording equipment made it clear Mr Martin had done everything possible
to avert the accident.
"Stan worked in the industry for almost four decades. All train drivers
will join with me in expressing our deepest sympathies with the families,"
he said.
Marine hailed a hero
Royal Marine Tom Mcphee, 34, from Exmouth, has been hailed a hero
for his efforts in comforting victims.
Mr McPhee and his friend Brian Kelmsly, 35, also from Exmouth, had
just arrived in the buffet carriage when the train hit the car on
the track.
Mr
McPhee tried in vain to help Louella Main, nine, but he was able to
comfort Sharmin Bacchus, 37.
He recalled: "We knew the train had crashed but we were up quite sharpish."
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| Investigators
at the scene of the crash. |
He
put his jumper around Louella Main's head in an attempt to stem the
flow of blood, but was unable to save her.
Then they went back into the carriage, where they found Ms Bacchus
trapped.
They kept her conscious until paramedics arrived, even joking about
going out for a pint at the weekend.
Ms Bacchus, who suffered cracked ribs and a broken pelvis, said: "When
I was going he was shouting at me. That worked really well. He kept
squeezing my hand and making me squeeze his. He kept me alive."
Investigations under way
Rail
inspectors will examine the possibility that a motorist - Brian Drysdale,
48, from Reading - may have deliberately driven on to the track, perhaps
in a suicide attempt.
But it's being emphasised that several other possibilities are also
being investigated.
Passengers who escaped unhurt from the rail crash spoke of their terror
as they realised the train was crashing.
"We were going quite fast and all of a sudden the train braked
very very severely," explained Sue Goldthorpe of Exeter.
"The train started to wobble sideways and it veered to the left
and it was obviously a crash.
"The lights went out which was what was really frightening and
people were screaming.
"It was the angle of the train and being in the dark that was
absolutely terrifying. Then one of the rail people came through with
a little light and said just calm down.
"A lot of people were panicking and screaming and I was a bit
frightened because there was a dreadful smell of diesel and I just
wanted to get the hell out of there.
"I
couldn't get out of my seat because the angle was so severe, I did
eventually because I just wanted to get out of the train.
"And then I had to get out through the window which they'd broken
and we had to walk for about a quarter of a mile to a pub.
"When I looked back at the train I couldn't believe it because
it was jack-knifed. Then we started to hear it was a car on a crossing.
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| The
level crossing where the crash occurred. |
Emily
Woodman was travelling to Exeter after a shopping trip to London.
She had to make her escape from the train barefoot after taking her
shoes off during the journey to make herself more comfortable.
"I'm very shaky. It was quite weird and my feet are really cold,"
said Emily.
"I'd been shopping all day so I'd taken off my shoes.
"We left everything on the train because we wanted to get out
as soon as possible. We'd been in London for a couple of days so everything
was on there."
David White, 48, from Cornwall, was in a carriage returning from London
with his wife, his brother and his wife, his stepson and his girlfriend.
He described the horror of the carriage turning over, sending tables
flying.
He said: "I am shocked. You could feel it hit the car, breaking hard.
We knew something was happening and the carriages ploughed into each
other."
"The passengers were plunged into complete darkness with people
"screaming and shouting on the floor" as tables fell on top of them.
"The carriage had come off its wheels and passengers crawled
through a gap where two carriages met to get out.
"There was nothing left of the car, two sides of it were all over
the place."
Michael Wakley, another passenger bussed back to Devon after the crash
described his lucky escape from the wreckage.
"We felt a big bump and suddenly it all went crazy, all the lights
went out and there was a big smash as all the glass came out of our
carriage.
"All I know is that our carriage was tipped over and I was one
of the lucky ones."
First published: Sunday 7th November
2004
Updated: 9th November |
