Builder’s shortcut home proves fatal
Richard Peter Allen spent Friday night having a few drinks with an old school mate visiting from out of town.
But a decision by the pair to take a shortcut home through an underground train tunnel after a night out drinking in Hamilton would end the builder’s life.
The 33-year-old was struck and killed by an eastbound freight train as he tried to leave the train tracks just before dawn on Saturday. His friend tried to warn him of the oncoming train, yelling to him from the embankment edging the tracks.
‘‘He tried to alert his friend to the oncoming train, but the deceased either did not hear the warning, or was unable to get out of the way of the train in sufficient time and was struck,’’ Waikato police Detective Sergeant Dave Grace said.
"Trains are heavy, cannot swerve to miss someone on the tracks and cannot stop easily."
KiwiRail spokesperson
Allen and his companion had entered the tracks at the Claudelands side of the underground rail tunnel that runs beneath the city and walked west along the railway lines.
It appeared they were in the process of leaving the tracks near the tunnel mouth at Tristram Street when Allen was hit.
His friend had made it safely up the grassy bank, Grace said, but it appeared Allen was looking for another way to climb off the tracks when he was struck by the train hauling a load to Tauranga.
‘‘He was looking for another, perhaps slightly easier place to exit from, and that’s how he ended up on the lines when the train came through.’’
From initial information, the pair had spent early Friday evening drinking alcohol at the builder’s Hamilton home. They headed into the city and visited a series of bars, Grace said.
They left the last licensed premise with the intention of heading home shortly before the incident happened at 4.30am.
Grace said the heavily loaded freight train was heading east, approaching the Kmart tunnel, when the driver spotted Allen on the lines.
‘‘The driver saw a person walking in front of him, applied the brakes, but was tragically unable to avoid striking the person, who received fatal injuries.’’
The train continued until it came to a stop at the western end of the Kmart tunnel platform.
‘‘We’re not concerned it was anything other than a tragic accident and there’s no criminal investigation being conducted.’’
Grace said the tunnel is an enclosed area protected by 1.8-metre fences.
‘‘It’s not a public area, it’s an enclosed secure area where the public shouldn’t be walking.
‘‘These fences are designed to keep the public out of the harm’s way and people should respect that and not climb and unlawfully be on the rail network, as tragedies do occur.’’
In a statement, KiwiRail said the train driver was stood down and offered support immediately.
The rail lines were shut and reopened at 8am.
‘‘Unless someone has a valid permit to be in the rail corridor, they are trespassing and putting their life in danger,’’ a KiwiRail spokesperson said.
‘‘Trains are heavy, cannot swerve to miss someone on the tracks and cannot stop easily.
‘‘The only legal place to cross the tracks is at a properly marked level crossing.’’
Allen’s death has been referred to the coroner.