Father cheats death after 70mph train hits his head

Stock photo, speeding train: Getty

A father of two is lucky to be alive after being struck by a train travelling at 70mph while standing at a platform in Essex.

Stephen Wright had been standing on the edge of the railway platform at Goodmayes Station feeling nauseous, and did not hear the train - which was not scheduled to stop - approaching.

As he leaned over, he felt a bang on his head from the train, which was packed with commuters.

He was with his two sons, Kye, seven, and Keon, five, at the time.

Deeply shocked, he staggered backwards and remained on the platform until he felt able to catch a train home with his sons, according to the Express.

Meanwhile, police spent all night looking for his body on the tracks, and the line was closed for two hours.

Unaware, Mr Wright was actually having dinner at his girlfriend's house in Manor Park later that evening.

He told the Daily Telegraph how he had leaned over the platform to be sick, adding: "The next thing I knew I felt the biggest bang in my head and I screamed out and grabbed my head.
"I thought I could fall down. My son was so scared and I had to be strong.

"My aunt said that God was rolling with me and she's right. There's no way I should be here."

He went to the King George Hospital in Goodmayes the next day, where he was given the all-clear after two brain scans, and was treated for swelling to his head and neck as well as whiplash.

Mr Wright said he realised how lucky he had been to survive after he was tracked down by a Metropolitan Police officer involved in the search for his body.

He said: "A policeman told me, 'we were searching for you on the tracks last night'. That's when it came to me more and started to sink in."

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