'They are blaming my son': Parents of boy hit by train at pedestrian crossing slam 'distracted by phone' report finding

"Jaiden's father, Jozif, 39, a photographer, said. They are blaming my son. He wasn't wearing headphones. He wasn't watching a film. It was a seven-second clip sent to him by his friends [which showed one of them walking to school]. That's not something that will take his attention away. Jaiden was killed by the neglect from the railway [authorities]. The improvements should have been made years ago to make the crossing safer. This was an accident waiting to happen."

"But on the morning of January 23, Jaiden got ready for school early and decided to head to school on his own. On most days, the brothers passed the crossing at around 8.10am, seven minutes after the train which ultimately hit him — the 7.55am Caterham to London Bridge service. But on the morning of his death, Jaiden arrived seven minutes early and directly into the path of the train as it passed the crossing at 8.03am."

Jaiden Shehata, 11, was struck and killed by a Southern train while crossing the Bourneview footpath level crossing near Kenley, south London, on January 23. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch concluded Jaiden was probably distracted by his mobile phone. Jaiden's parents reject that finding and demand safety improvements at the crossing, calling the incident an accident waiting to happen. His father said Jaiden was not wearing headphones and was watching a seven-second clip that would not have significantly distracted him. Jaiden usually walked to school with his older brother, but on the morning he left earlier and entered the crossing as a 7.55am train passed at 8.03am.

Read at www.standard.co.uk