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Cattishall level crossing (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 by Keith Evans via Geograph.org.uk)Cyclist killed by train on level crossing had headphones and was looking wrong way, inquest told
A coroner has concluded that the death of a cyclist killed by a train as he pushed his bike across a pedestrian level crossing in Suffolk last March was an accident – after hearing that the train driver had seen him “ambling” across the tracks while wearing headphones, oblivious to the danger he was in.
Adrian Smith, from Thurston, Suffolk, was negotiating the Cattishall level crossing in Great Barton at around 9am on 24 March when he lost his life.
This week’s inquest into his death heard how the driver of the 8.20am Cambridge to Ipswich train, realised a collision was bound to happen despite applying his emergency brake.
The train had been travelling at 60mph when the driver, Allan Dewhurst, who was described as “experienced,” first saw the 42-year-old cyclist on the line, reports the Eastern Daily Press.
Coroner Dr Peter Green, speaking after hearing the evidence presented to the inquest at the Ip-City Centre in Ipswich, said: “The driver sounded the horn while approaching the crossing before noticing a white male was moving his bike across the crossing.
“He realised that the male was wearing black headphones, he continued to sound the horn but he continued to look in the direction away from the crossing.
“The driver said he was not in a hurry, he was ambling across, he felt totally helpless because there was nothing he could do.”
Dr Andrew Mason of Suffolk Accident Rescue Service who came to the scene told the inquest that Mr Smith had sustained “multiple and un-survivable injuries.”
The coroner also read out a statement from Mr Smith’s mother who said that her son, who had his own grounds maintenance business, “was a very positive person who was always starting new goals and had a pretty good lifestyle.
“In the morning he was the same as usual – he made a bowl of porridge and set off for the gym.”
Dr Dean added: “He enjoyed building his own bikes and cross-country cycling which he loved and would do 30 miles a day. He did voluntary work in his spare time at the weekend with other volunteers.
“A tree has been planted in Ickworth for his voluntary work. The family said they were moved by the fact that the people had done this for them and that they treasured their wonderful memories of Adrian.
“He clearly remains in their thoughts as a wonderful son and brother who will be sorely missed.”
On the day Mr Smith was killed, we reported that a local resident had told the BBC that more people were using the crossing than was the case when he moved there four decades ago.
The man, Hugh Howcutt, said: “It’s either got to have a bridge or be closed.” Many of the new users are runners or cyclists, with the single track road that crosses the railway forming part of National Cycle Route 13.
The East Anglian Daily Times had earlier reported that due to major housing development planned nearby, a disused underpass running beneath the railway a short distance from the crossing might be reopened.
A spokesman said that Network Rail was “committed to reducing level crossing risk as much as possible”
He added: “We have invested £131million nationally to upgrade or close more than 700 level crossings nationwide since 2010, with a further 500 planned for the next five years.
“As part of this, we continue to examine and assess level crossings in the Anglia Route.”
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- Gus T 3 sec ago
Isn't the road the car drivers are pulling on to bi-directional as well, strange how they can see the cars coming from both directions on a bi...
- ktache 11 min 18 sec ago
Is the answer crisps?
- Homebaker 14 min 48 sec ago
Oh you can't block roads, what if I need to drive my elderly aunt to the emergency hospital, and even though there are better routes, I want to go...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 41 min ago
Tier scooters - When visiting Keynsham I found several apparently dumped (not all at once - could have been the same ones? )...
- mdavidford 1 hour 46 min ago
The answer to this is to have no friends.
- Backladder 3 hours 39 min ago
While original sash windows are nice they make it very hard to keep the house warm, we eventually went for upvc double glazed sash window...
- Andrewbanshee 5 hours 3 min ago
As you said the pedals will be hidden anyway. My shoes, 3 pairs of them, have reflective strips on the heel and my winter trousers do too on the...
- Steve K 5 hours 4 min ago
Other drivers only care about disabled people when it gives them a way to object to cycling infrastructure.
- mark1a 13 hours 7 min ago
I'll put you down as a no then.
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27 comments
This is a tragedy (any loss of life is)
but I'm going to play devil's advocate here, unfortunately we only have one side of the story here. It's a pity there wasn't any CCTV of the incident (seeing as we are the most "viewed" nation in europe). The victim may well have been wearing headphones (according to train driver) doesn't prove anything as nobody knows whether they were on or at what volume.
I've dug my foxhole got me tin hat on ready and awaiting replies
I am curious to know what he was listening to.
Clearly a tragic incident.
I knew a train driver, whose train had killed a pedestrian. For the driver, it was terrible and he never recovered psychologically.
I am sorry about any death. And he had a bike with him so it's news on here. But this is one for the Darwin Awards surely.
A tragedy for all concerned. However no excuses can be made for not being fully alert when crossing a railway line. It isn't difficult, these things don't veer left or right at the whim of the driver.
I can't understand the "more than meets the eye" comment; what nonsense.
I'm always astonished that rail industry are expected to pick up the costs of new infrastructure because people are unable to look after their own welfare.
This type of death is a complete waste and totally avoidable.
There are some level crossigs which are inherently dangerous. Several are on bends where the visibility of an oncoming fast train is just seconds. But I agree this isn't one of those cases. It's just a case of not being bothered to take enough care crossing a railway line. My father was a railwayman and I had it drimmed into me how dangerous railway lines can be. I can't imagine anyone crossing a line and not being bothered enough about it to look both ways constantly and take their headphones off.
You mean they don't have warning signs to alert you to their presence ahead, with lights and barriers activated in plenty time to tell you there's a train coming?
Your talking about crossings for vehicles. This guy appears to have been on a pedestrian crossing. There are plenty round here. There is usually a gate and plenty of warning notices but essentially it's like crossing a road. Some have become more dangerous than they were originally because modern trains can travel a lot faster and more quietly than when the crossing was located back in the 19th century maybe. I guess back then with the lack of traffic and ambient noise and the speed of trains generally people had more warning. There was also probably a more sanguine attitude to casualties.
And no iPods either...
Yes, exactly that. I've used a couple recently that are just swing gates to the track. It is completely up to the user to judge if it is safe to cross. It's pretty easy to hear that a train is coming by the 'singing' of the tracks, but that is also the kind of noise that you could miss with headphones blaring.
Tragic. Avoidable.
.
My first reaction was to wonder what on earth he was thinking, and yes, of course you should keep your wits about you when crossing a railway line.
But hindsight is 20:20 as they say. Looking at the streetview, this is a tiny country lane - although it looks like a very handy cut-through - with no barriers or warning lights or sirens. If he did it every day and rarely saw a train I guess it could be easy to get blasé.
We all take risks but that was just plain stupid. My sympathies to the driver.
Absolutely - rarely considered but arguably the biggest victims. They have no choice but have to live with the consequences and the memories.
'To deliberately put yourself in a position of vulnerability by playing sounds loud enough to block out surrounding noise and distract your senses makes you a hazard to yourself and those around you.'
Does anyone actually do that? Or did you get that straight from the Daily Mail?
Presumably the victim did, how else did he not hear a train (hardly a stealth object in itself) sounding its horn (even less stealthy)?
@Him Up North, thanks. I wasn't sure whether there was another part to the story that got missed in the C&P or whether Dr Green was transmogrified into Dr Dean. Instead, it seems that Dr Dean was transmogrified back from Dr Green.
Sorry to burst your bubble but that assessment is pretty much bang on the money for me.
As a long-time (and getting increasingly fed up) user of the Bristol-Bath path I can tell you that numbers of riders wearing earphones and riding unpredictably is way up. Runners too, loads wearing them. I honestly don't have a problem with people wearing them (I wear in-ear types occasionally - they 'leak' sound in a fair bit) but if you're going to inhibit a key sense then you have to up your game with the others, otherwise your a pain in the arse and a liability.
And these two observations are *definitely* linked are they? You've actually proved that the earphones are the causal factor behind the unpredictable riding?
Oh, well. Chalk another oblivious, headphone wearing cyclist ambling along without any awareness as to his surroundings. The number of these lemmings one sees on urban streets everyday is truly amazing...
No sympathy for him. If you take the risk and it doesn't pay off, it's your fault. Sympathies to family and the driver. What a horrible experience.
Dependant on wind direction, especially a head wind I cannot hear vehicles behind me due to wind noise. So music playing loudly could easily obliterate external sounds. You need to have all your senses working, well at least paying attention to what you are doing to keep as safe as possible.
There was a sad incident where a young lad was killed by not looking and steeping out into the road locally to me. He was wearing headphones looking down according to a witness. Smallest lapse in your surroundings can have catastrophic consequences.
'High volume headphones on a bicycle can only lead to bad things happening. '
Absolute nonsense.
*not looking for hazards* when on a bicycle can only lead to bad things. Hearing is not necessary.
It helps to use all the faculties you have. If your point is deaf people can ride bicycles there is no argument against that.
To deliberately put yourself in a position of vulnerability by playing sounds loud enough to block out surrounding noise and distract your senses makes you a hazard to yourself and those around you.
High volume headphones on a bicycle can only lead to bad things happening. Be aware of your surroundings.
So where does Dr Dean come into it?
He's the coroner. He's wrongly named Green further up the article.
Geez, what sort of headphones block out the noise of a train horn?
Seems more to this than meets the eye.
I have no knowledge of this case, but the amount of people I've seen cycling with large over ear Beats headphones in the morning commute is ridiculous. Literally fashion victims.