Baby survives after train hits stroller in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia — A 6-month-old baby has miraculously survived a train hitting his stroller, which rolled onto the tracks when his mother let go for an instant.
The escape was captured on security camera footage that shows the red, three-wheeled stroller plunging off a station platform just as the commuter train pulls in, and the mother's panicked lunge to grab it.
The train pushed the stroller about 130 feet (40 meters) along the tracks before it stopped, but it did not go under the train.
The baby, who was strapped into the stroller, received only a bump on the head.
Police said they released the video, which was captured last Thursday at a suburban station in the southern city of Melbourne, to underscore the need for people to be extra safety conscious when using the train system.
The dramatic footage led news bulletins across Australia and was shown internationally, and on YouTube.
Police have not identified the mother, who wished to remain anonymous, and say the incident was an accident.
"It's amazing how many people get too close to the tracks despite the dangers," Sgt. Michael Ferwerda told reporters. "We've had a lucky escape and it is a chance for commuters to heed warnings to be more careful."
The security footage shows the mother stopping on the platform with the stroller facing the tracks. She lets go of the stroller's handle without applying the brake, and appears to hitch her pants with both hands.
The stroller's front wheel drifts toward the track, and the stroller rolls toward the edge, flipping over as it hits the tracks. The mother spots it just before it pitches over the side, and lunges forward — too late.
The train pulls into the station, and the mother clutches her face in apparent panic and devastation. As the train stops, onlookers rush forward. The whole incident took about seven seconds.
Paramedic Jon Wright said the baby received only minor injuries and was returned to his mother within a few minutes of the accident occurring.
"Apparently he needed a feed and a nap," Wright was quoted as saying by the Sun Herald newspaper. "Luckily he was strapped into his pram at the time, which probably saved his life. I think the child's extremely lucky,"
Connex, the privately owned train operator said the driver was being offered counseling for possible trauma caused by the incident.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
MELBOURNE, Australia — A 6-month-old baby has miraculously survived a train hitting his stroller, which rolled onto the tracks when his mother let go for an instant.
The escape was captured on security camera footage that shows the red, three-wheeled stroller plunging off a station platform just as the commuter train pulls in, and the mother's panicked lunge to grab it.
The train pushed the stroller about 130 feet (40 meters) along the tracks before it stopped, but it did not go under the train.
The baby, who was strapped into the stroller, received only a bump on the head.
Police said they released the video, which was captured last Thursday at a suburban station in the southern city of Melbourne, to underscore the need for people to be extra safety conscious when using the train system.
The dramatic footage led news bulletins across Australia and was shown internationally, and on YouTube.
Police have not identified the mother, who wished to remain anonymous, and say the incident was an accident.
"It's amazing how many people get too close to the tracks despite the dangers," Sgt. Michael Ferwerda told reporters. "We've had a lucky escape and it is a chance for commuters to heed warnings to be more careful."
The security footage shows the mother stopping on the platform with the stroller facing the tracks. She lets go of the stroller's handle without applying the brake, and appears to hitch her pants with both hands.
The stroller's front wheel drifts toward the track, and the stroller rolls toward the edge, flipping over as it hits the tracks. The mother spots it just before it pitches over the side, and lunges forward — too late.
The train pulls into the station, and the mother clutches her face in apparent panic and devastation. As the train stops, onlookers rush forward. The whole incident took about seven seconds.
Paramedic Jon Wright said the baby received only minor injuries and was returned to his mother within a few minutes of the accident occurring.
"Apparently he needed a feed and a nap," Wright was quoted as saying by the Sun Herald newspaper. "Luckily he was strapped into his pram at the time, which probably saved his life. I think the child's extremely lucky,"
Connex, the privately owned train operator said the driver was being offered counseling for possible trauma caused by the incident.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
