Teenager 'burned to death' in railway prank

An inquest has found that a teenager in England burned to death after clipping a 250,0000-volt electricity cable in a prank at a railway depot.

Teenager 'burned to death' in railway prank

An inquest has found that a teenager in England burned to death after clipping a 250,0000-volt electricity cable in a prank at a railway depot.

Ashley Aaron Matthews suffered 84% burns after his left ankle hit the cable when he was trying to jump onto a moving train as he dangled from a bridge at the depot in Walsall.

He was found that night, June 18, lying injured on top of a train and was rushed to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he died the next day.

Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Pic Wikipedia.

The 19-year-old's brother, Jake, had filmed the horrific incident before fleeing from the scene with friends, leaving security guards who found Ashley to dial 999.

The inquest heard Ashley had sneaked into the depot planning to jump from the bridge onto a train carrying gravel.

British Transport Police fatal accident investigator Paul Simmonds said: “Ashley climbed onto the bridge and Jake got his mobile phone out and started filming him.

“Images from the footage show Ashley climbing over the bridge and dangling over the lines with the trains below and he looks up to the camera and laughs.

“The footage records people shouting ‘Go on, go on!’.

“He swings into position and his left ankle made contact with the high voltage cable and it passed through him.

“There was a loud bang and white flash and the current went through him and onto the bridge.”

Mr Simmonds said the injured teenager, who remained conscious, told him a version of the incident which was later “found to be untrue”.

After Ashley’s death, his brother came forward told the truth about what happened and supplied mobile phone footage of it.

Mr Simmonds said there were no signs at the site – which is out of bounds to the public – warning of the dangers of electrocution due to live cables, although some were now due to be erected.

He said security was also to be stepped up.

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