Taxi Driver Online

March 28, 2008 Friday

Colchester: Cabbie - I saw train death

Lynne Milford

Gazette

A taxi driver today spoke of the moment he saw a young man to try to stop a woman being hit by a train at a level crossing.

British Transport Police are looking at CCTV images and speaking to witnesses to find out how the woman came to be on the tracks just before 8pm yesterday.

A taxi driver told the Gazette how he picked the couple up from Osborne Street in Colchester and dropped them off near the station.

He paid tribute to a youth who tried to help the woman at the scene.

He said: "I dropped them off about 300 yards from the station and they walked off towards it.

"I drove off towards the station and the level crossing barriers were down so I stopped in the queue of traffic.

"I was about four cars back and there was a group of about five youths standing there.

"I saw one of them go onto the track and I thought what an idiot' but then I realised he was trying to help someone.

He added: "We heard the train whistling but I couldn't see what actually happened.

"I'm sure the young lad will be really shaken by what he saw but he should be found and applauded for his bravery in going to help."

A spokeswoman for the BTP said: "Our investigations are ongoing to prepare a file for the coroner.

"We will be looking at CCTV and speaking to the witnesses as part of this work."

She added the BTP would not identify the woman until they had spoken to her family.

A man who was taken to hospital with leg injuries was interviewed by police.
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