Young child killed on crossing

[GB]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/8243018.stm

 

[curly42]

This is a tragedy.Whatever the circumstances it's very very sad.

 

[Bayum]

*Waits for the "he shouldn't have been there, it's his parents fault etc etc" type comments*

 

[generalvegitable]

now that is a tragedy, the kid was 2 for ***** sake and no 2 year old deserves that, and he shouldn't have been there unless accompanied by an adult, but no matter what the circumstances a 2 year old being killed is a tragedy

 

[CCF23]

There have seemed to be many more tragedies on our railways in the last couple of weeks than usual or a members just highlighting them more. And i feel than any railway tragedy is sad no matter what the background circumstances are this one more so as the young child knew notjing of the danger he was in/getting himself into.

 

[Dai.]

Such a tragedy, is the crossing unguarded?
I don't see how he could have got past a guarded crossing

 

[JustinStacey.x]

*Waits for the "he shouldn't have been there, it's his parents fault etc etc" type comments*

Anyone would think you were soliciting :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

now that is a tragedy, the kid was 2 for ***** sake and no 2 year old deserves that, and he shouldn't have been there unless accompanied by an adult, but no matter what the circumstances a 2 year old being killed is a tragedy

no-one at all deserves it, really.

 

[asylumxl]

The kid doesn't deserve it. Without knowing the circumstances we can't really comment any further.

 

[the sniper]

*Waits for the "he shouldn't have been there, it's his parents fault etc etc" type comments*

Why would anyone say that? :?

This is obviously not comparable to a teenage trespasser death, a 2 year old clearly wouldn't know the dangers... :roll:

 

[68000]

No but the parents should

 

[JustinStacey.x]

Why would anyone say that? :?

This is obviously not comparable to a teenage trespasser death, a 2 year old clearly wouldn't know the dangers... :roll:

Look at the recent threads of this nature and there has been a trend of what Bayum was suggesting. Still, I don't think soliciting helps the matter, much the same as dangling bacon in front of a dog and then bitching when it bites your hand doesn't, either.

 

[mumrar]

My heart goes out to the family, having a two-year old son myself, who LOVES everything about trains.

I don't want to start a witchunt or anything, and it's probably an unfortunate way of phrasing it, but this quote worries me because of how it sounds.

The BTP spokesman said: "The boy's family have been made aware and a file will be prepared for the coroner."

Lets please keep a polite discussion here, I'm just cautious of the boy's family having to be made aware, but maybe they mean natural parents and he was adopted, or he was with a childminder etc.

An absolute tragedy for the family and the driver. This must just be a million times worse for them.

It seems to be gated or something, but I may have the wrong crossing. Link to GOOGLE MAPS

 

[spoony]

Not only is it a tragedy, I am mystified as to the circumstances at how a 2 year old could be killed in this way

 

[Geezertronic]

*Waits for the "he shouldn't have been there, it's his parents fault etc etc" type comments*

Tragic though this is, someone has to ask difficult questions and answers have to be given.

Since it appears from the reporting that the child was not with his parents, someone needs to ask who he was with and who was supervising him.

As a parent myself, I am also mortified that a 2 year old could even get near a railway line so questions have to be asked how accessible the railway line was and what could have been done to avoid this tragic incident.

 

[whoosh]

Through a hole in a fence (made by adults or teenagers)?
Through a gap in a garden fence?

I saw a boy of about 6 wandering along the opposite line to the one I was driving along once. With his back to any trains that could approach on that line. He would've stood no chance - not looking out for approaching trains and oblivious to the danger he was in. Thing is, I didn't see him until about a coach length away - people (especially small people) are really hard to spot. That's why we all wear bright orange!
He was lucky it was the opposite line, and that I phoned the signaller who was able to stop trains on that track. They got a Mobile Operations Manager (MOM) and the British Transport Police to go and pick him up.

He'd slipped away from wherever he was supposed to be though. I know he was older, but a child can be there one minute and gone the next.

Very sad for everyone involved.

 

[GB]

From what I can gather, the scene is being treated as a "Scene Of Crime" and the line is still closed to rail traffic.

 

[starrymarkb]

I've heard reported that someone had possibly made unauthorised modifications to the catches on the crossing gates so they no-longer locked shut...

 

[SouthEastern-465]

*Waits for the "he shouldn't have been there, it's his parents fault etc etc" type comments*

I think people only say this sort of thing when it was a trespass like the kid who got killed in the depot on the trains roof etc.

Poor kid, only 2 and to get killed in this way is just horrible. Does anyone know if he was stuck on the level crossing or was he stuck in a car?.

 

[jon0844]

This was reported on the TV news this morning, but I wonder what charge you could bring on someone that tampered with the gates?

 

[Bayum]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/8243728.stm

Well like, on the BBC site it doesn't say anything about it being tampered with =/

 

[tony_mac]

http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/latest-east-anglia-news/Improvements-made-months-before-toddlers.5627482.jp

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) - which has responsibility for health and safety on railways - said a sliding latch had been altered so the metal railing gate guarding the crossing could not be fixed shut.

A spokesman said inspectors were concerned that if the latch had to be released before the gate would open, anyone trapped on the crossing would find it harder to escape.

The spokesman said inspectors had advised Network Rail - which operates and maintains tracks and crossings - to remove the latch. Instead, Network Rail had left the latch in place but fixed it in an open position so pedestrians could simply push or pull the gate.

 

[starrymarkb]

It does on the Telegraph site

"Neighbour Margaret Cianna, 71, who lives yards from the crossing, said: “I heard a woman screaming. It was awful. Then it was followed by a big commotion.

“Dozens of people ran to the scene.

“It’s just too horrific to contemplate. About three weeks ago the gates were adapted so they could be pushed open, without removing a bolt.”

And comments from a local paper (not sure which one - am searching for a reference)

"I have been crossing the line twice a day for the past seven years and, until recently, I would have said it was safe. However, earlier this year someone added some bolts to the sliding catches, which means they no longer 'lock' shut. Shame on whoever came up with that idea."

 

[Bayum]

I didn't say it hadn't did I...

I just said that the BBC sight didn't mention anything of the sort

 

[jopsuk]

Cue some casual racism, as it turns out the family were travellers.

Expect to see comments about kids running out of control, poor parenting etc. All unjustified and uncaring, of course.

 

[chester]

sadly you'll be proved correct jopsuk.Perhaps this site could just do away with the death on the railways threads as they just bring out the holier than thou and little hitler brigade...you know who you are n i love you all.

 

[GB]

Or maybe some people could be a little more grown up and think about the sensitive nature of what they are commenting on?

 

[jon0844]

Has anyone blamed the kid, said 'good' or blamed the parents? The parents it would seem have accepted it as a tragedy, and aren't blaming anyone else (at least not yet).

As has been mentioned - this is nothing like the cases where older kids up to no good are killed. So, there won't be any comments like those seen on other threads, which are totally unrelated. Sorry to disappoint!

That said, if NR had made changes to the gate then certain questions may be asked - as they do have a duty of care. I'd have said that it might be unfair to blame the railway if someone else had tampered with something, but if this was actually actioned by Network Rail then they will have to justify their actions.

 

[Bayum]

Has anyone blamed the kid, said 'good' or blamed the parents? The parents it would seem have accepted it as a tragedy, and aren't blaming anyone else (at least not yet).

As has been mentioned - this is nothing like the cases where older kids up to no good are killed. So, there won't be any comments like those seen on other threads, which are totally unrelated. Sorry to disappoint!

That said, if NR had made changes to the gate then certain questions may be asked - as they do have a duty of care. I'd have said that it might be unfair to blame the railway if someone else had tampered with something, but if this was actually actioned by Network Rail then they will have to justify their actions.

But was there anything to suggest that the people before had been upto no good ?

And NR did it because Health and Safety advised them to... I'm sure it was in one of the linked stories someone gave

 

[90019]

But was there anything to suggest that the people before had been upto no good ?

So (as with the last two cases of kids being killed mentioned on here), trespassing in a depot and climbing on top of a wagon, and climbing on a pipe to graffiti a bridge don't count as 'being up to no good'? :?

 

[JustinStacey.x]

Leave it lol... the guy just has a chip on his shoulder after the way some of these threads have turned due to certain users who I believe have now been taken care of.