An infant in the United Kingdom survived a horrific accident with a train, and surveillance caught the incident on camera. The accident occurred on June 8 on platform 2 at Banbury, England, station with a train traveling between Reading and York. An adult pushing a stroller reportedly let go, and the 2-month-old infant rolled toward the moving train.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch released a safety digest on November 7, detailing the accident. Miraculously, the infant survived, but witnesses will never forget what they saw.
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Surveillance footage apparently shows the family together minutes before the accident.
According to RAIB, 10 minutes before the train arrived, the parent and another adult stood on the platform. The adults remained in contact with the stroller, called a pram in the UK, the entire time, either standing very close or maintaining direct contact. One quick move, however, would change everything.
The parent reportedly let go of the pram for a second.
RAIB reported that the parent moved the pram closer to the platform edge just 15 seconds before the accident occurred. Seconds later, the parent allegedly moved their hand away from the stroller.
“The infant’s parent then leant away from the pram to place one hand on their wheeled luggage and turned to face their relative, momentarily letting go of the pram. Around 6 seconds before the accident, with the parent still facing away from the pram, it began to move towards the platform edge,” the report reads. “Around 3 seconds before the accident, the front of the train passed the position where the pram was located, and the pram continued to roll towards the platform edge. Around 1 second before the accident, the relative tried to intervene but the pram contacted the train’s bodyside.”
The infant reportedly received a minor head injury.
According to RAIB, when the pram’s wheels hit the moving train, it sprung and fell over. As a result, the infant hit the platform, resulting in a minor head injury.
A Cross Country Trains spokesperson shared this statement, via The Sun, after the accident:
“Our thoughts are with the mother and baby involved in the incident at Banbury last week, and reviews with industry partners have shown CrossCountry colleagues followed all relevant operational and safety rules. This distressing incident is a reminder of the need for people to be vigilant, safe and secure at all times when near the railway.”
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The location where the accident occurred slopes downward.
RAIB reported that, at the time of the station’s construction, many platforms were built with a slope toward the track. This helps make water drainage more efficient.
“RAIB has been unable to determine why the infant’s parent momentarily let go of the unbraked pram. The small degree of slope present is unlikely to have been apparent to the infant’s parent, who possibly became momentarily distracted while unaware of the hazard created by the slope,” the release reads.
According to RAIB, signs in the area warned of potential danger.
