A coroner has warned that lives remain at risk at a major London Underground station, after an inquest heard how a 72-year-old man was struck by four separate trains in a "truly harrowing" incident where one driver mistook his body for a blow-up doll.
A Fatal Fall on the Tracks
Brian Mitchell, from Hanwell, died from multiple injuries at Stratford station on 26 December 2023. The pensioner had been visiting friends over the Christmas period. An inquest jury concluded his death was accidental.
After spending nearly an hour on the platform, Mr Mitchell stumbled forwards onto the tracks and was unable to get to safety. He was then hit a total of seven times by Jubilee line services entering and leaving platform 13 before all trains were stopped, according to a Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report.
Systemic Failures and Distracted Drivers
The investigation revealed a catastrophic series of failures. The report suggested the first driver may have been distracted by "the use of automatic train operation".
Most shockingly, the inquest heard that the third train operator believed the body was a blow-up doll. It was only after this that a customer assistant on the platform and a fourth driver realised a person was on the line.
Despite this, a signal could not be raised in time to prevent another impact. The fourth driver, who saw Mr Mitchell, was in such a state of shock that they failed to apply the emergency brake. None of the other three drivers used their emergency brakes either.
Coroner's Warning and Family's Anguish
Graeme Irvine, the Senior Coroner for East London, stated he will issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report to Transport for London (TfL). He expressed ongoing concern, noting that "not a huge amount has changed" in the two years since the tragedy on platform 13.
Mr Mitchell's family, represented by lawyers from Leigh Day, described the facts of the case as "almost unbelievable". "It has been really difficult for Brian’s family to hear that Brian was hit by a tube train not only once, but seven times," said solicitor Thomas Jervis.
The family hopes the case will force meaningful change to improve safety at terminus stations and address lapses in concentration caused by operator underload. The primary cause of Mr Mitchell's death was recorded as blunt-force trauma to his chest and head.
