The Nocton rail crash was a rail accident that happened on 28 February 2002 near Nocton, Lincolnshire, England, after a vehicle smashed through a wall and fell onto the railway line. The driver, who was trapped in his van, was talking to emergency services on his mobile phone when his vehicle was hit by an oncoming train, killing him. The incident happened exactly a year to the day after the similar Great Heck rail crash.
Details
John Fletcher, a 47-year-old delivery driver, was driving a white Mercedes Sprinter van along a stretch of road parallel to the B1188 near Nocton when he turned off along a disused road. The road had once led towards a bridge over the railway line; however this bridge had been removed in 1968 and the approach to the line was blocked by a brick wall. Despite this, the road camber remained in place. After travelling 20 metres (66 ft) along the road, Fletcher's van smashed through the wall and fell 6.1 metres (20 ft) onto the railway, trapping him inside the vehicle.
At 18:30, as Fletcher was talking on his mobile phone to an emergency services operator, the 15:42 Central Trains service from Birmingham New Street station to Sleaford via Lincoln, a two-carriage Sprinter train (156409) travelling at 55 miles per hour (89 km/h), impacted his van and shunted it 40 metres (130 ft) along the tracks.
According to a police statement the van disintegrated into "a thousand pieces if not more". Fletcher died of multiple injuries. The front carriage of the train was derailed, remaining upright. Fourteen of the train's 41 occupants, including the driver, were taken to Lincoln County Hospital with minor injuries.
References
- "One dead in train crash". BBC News. 28 February 2002. Archived from the original on 24 October 2003. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- "Dead driver named in van-train crash". The Guardian. 2 March 2002. Archived from the original on 13 June 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- "Rail crash victim's final call". BBC News. 1 March 2002. Archived from the original on 7 April 2003. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- ^ Graves, David (2 March 2002). "Van driver was making 999 call when train hit". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- "Wreckage removed after train crash". BBC News. 2 March 2002. Archived from the original on 26 May 2004. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- "Driver died during 999 call". BBC News. 23 April 2003. Archived from the original on 24 October 2003. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- "Rail crash inquest opens". BBC News. 6 March 2002. Archived from the original on 24 October 2003. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
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| ‡ indicates railway accidents and incidents resulting in at least 5 fatalities 1900–1999  | |
53°09′20″N 0°25′25″W / 53.1555°N 0.4235°W / 53.1555; -0.4235
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