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Drunk Man Somehow Escapes Uninjured After Being Run Over By Train

Drunk Man Somehow Escapes Uninjured After Being Run Over By Train

Derek Acton escaped with his life after drunkenly walking onto train tracks, lying down and being run over by a Greater Anglia train

Ronan O'Shea

Ronan O'Shea

A man who drunkenly walked onto train tracks, lay down and was run over by a train has miraculously escaped with his life.

CCTV footage caught Derek Acton, 44, as he stumbled along the platform at Harlow Mill station in Essex. After dangling his legs off the side of the platform, Acton walked onto the tracks and lay down as a Greater Anglia train was approaching.

Fortunately, the train passed through without injuring him, though the driver would undoubtedly have feared the worse after seeing the supine figure lying on the track.

Moments after his little adventure, Acton got up and climbed back onto the platform. After being looked over by NHS staff, Acton was declared uninjured, but was charged for his actions on 28 October 2017.

British Transport Police

He was handed a 60-day alcohol abstinence requirement, a 12-month community order and a £570 fine this week at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Monday, close to the Emirates Stadium.

As reported in the Mirror, Inspector Steve Webster from the British Transport Police spoke about Acton's luck following his sentencing.

"In his intoxicated state, he climbed down onto the tracks and lay in the path of a fast approaching train. His actions were baffling.

British Transport Police

"I hope Acton sticks to his community order and the alcohol abstinence requirement.

"Hopefully he will steer clear of the tracks and avoid being involved in another near miss. The railway is an extremely dangerous place to trespass.

"Every year my officers are called to tragic incidents where someone has died or seriously injured as a result of being hit by a train. Please remember to stay off the tracks and away from danger."

PA

A Greater Anglia spokesperson said: "Trespass incidents on our network are incredibly dangerous. Anyone who trespasses on the railway risks their life. The dangers may not always be obvious.

"We will continue to work with the British Transport Police and Network Rail to identify and take appropriate action against those who do trespass. If anyone witnesses any trespass incidents on our network, they should report this to the British Transport Police immediately."

There were 6,866 passenger injuries in 2016-17 on the mainline, 49.6 percent of them from slips, trips and falls, though passenger fatalities decreased overall.

There were 15 passenger fatalities in 2016-17, the highest number since 2010-11, though this is in part explained by the tragic Croydon tram derailment in which seven people lost their lives.

Featured Image Credit: Harlow Mill Station

Topics: UK News, Drunk, Trains, Alcohol