Man dies after falling from doors of moving train near Gatwick station
An investigation has been launched after a 32-year-old man from Brighton fell to his death from the doors of a moving train.
Rail passengers could only look on in horror as former hotel worker Alex Smith fell from the doors of the 11.19am Southern service travelling between Brighton and London Victoria at around 11.45am on Monday 11 March.
Mr Smith fell onto the track just moments after the train left Gatwick station, having joined the service in Brighton.
According to The Argus, horrified commuters watched as Mr Smith was hit by another train heading in the opposite direction.
David Owen, a commuter who was on the train at the time of the incident, told The Argus: "The death of this young man is tragic, but the question is how and why it was possible for him to open the doors of the train while in motion.
"For me this is a health and safety issue of some magnitude."
A spokeswoman for the British Transport Police (BTP) told The Argus: "The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the incident. However it is believed the man fell from the train he was travelling on."
A Southern spokesman said: "The train has been fully tested following the incident and the doors were found to be working as they should."
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