AN INQUEST into the death of a well known Ballykelly farmer who was killed in a collision between his tractor and a train at a railway crossing has recorded a verdict of accidental death.
James Craig of 52 Carse Road in Ballykelly was killed on the 2nd of August last year while harvesting straw from his land. He died instantly after suffering multiple injuries from the impact.
The court heard that during the course of a glorious summ
er day Mr Craig, his sons and other workers were crossing to and fro between the Craig land on either side of the railway line. The gates of the crossing had been left open due to the frequency of the tractors crossing the line.
The jury of seven men and one woman was shown camera footage recorded at the front of the scene which recorded the train travelling down a long, straight section of track before the braking in the last seconds before it collided with Mr Craig's tractor. Mr Craig appears to have been oblivious to the approach of the train and no effort was made to take evasive action. His view may have been obscured by the sun or the roof of the tractor.
The court heard a trainee nurse travelling aboard the train was unable to help Mr Craig and Mr Craig's distraught wife Moira, also a nurse, hugged the driver at the scene, telling him there was nothing he could have done.
Robert Craig, one of James' two sons to give evidence, told the court that four weeks after the accident he was on foot and went to open the gates of the crossing when a train went past at speed. He had not heard the train approaching.
Northern Ireland's Senior Coroner, John Lecky told the court: "An accident such as this is not only a tragedy for the family but very traumatic for the driver of the train, who in many ways is powerless to stop." He extended his sympathies to the family.
The jury recommended that NIR considered installing lights as crossings of this type.
The full article contains 383 words and appears in Londonderry Sentinel newspaper.
