An 11-year-old boy who died after being hit by a train at a level crossing was probably looking at a video on his phone at the time of the accident, investigators have said.
Jaiden Shehata was walking to school when he was fatally struck at the Bourneview footpath crossing near Kenley, south London, in January, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said.
Jaiden, who was a pupil at the nearby Riddlesdown Collegiate secondary school, was hit by a Southern train travelling at about 50mph.
The train driver sounded the horn and applied the emergency brake when he saw the boy start to cross the railway but, though he looked up, he did not have time to move clear before the train reached the crossing.
Jaiden, who had used the crossing regularly since starting at Riddlesdown Collegiate the previous September, suffered fatal injuries after being hit by the train, which stopped about 200m further along the line.
The child did not realise the danger he was in, probably because he was “distracted” by his phone, the board concluded.
CCTV showed Jaiden’s coat hood was pulled over his head and, as he walked towards the crossing, he was looking ahead and down at a “glowing object,” almost certain to be the illuminated screen of a phone in his hands.
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Analysis of the device suggested a video clip was playing at the time.
The site does not have warning lights or barriers, which the RAIB said is “in common with many footpath crossings”.
Six near misses
Users are expected to stop, look and listen for approaching trains, and “make their own decision about whether or not it is safe to cross”, investigators said.
There were six near misses at the crossing between November 2018 and February 2023, according to a Network Rail risk assessment in May 2023.
A single fatality in March 2020 was thought to be a deliberate act.
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Giving rail safety lessons to schoolchildren and making dangerous areas at level crossings more noticeable, particularly to people who may be distracted, were among the recommendations in the RAIB’s report.
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It also suggested different ways of lowering the risk were needed for younger users.
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A Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) spokesperson said: “Ensuring safety at level crossings remains a key priority for RSSB and the rail industry, and we will be working collaboratively to consider and implement the RAIB’s recommendations.”
Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex route director for Network Rail, said the crossing was temporarily closed in August and miniature stop lights will be installed next month.
These will “improve safety by providing a clear signal and warning sound to let people know when it is safe to cross,” she said.
