Man dies in fall between two railway carriages

AN elderly man’s St Patrick’s day trip to Dublin ended in tragedy when he became entangled underneath a departing train, an inquest heard yesterday.

Henry Hayward, 78, of Glendore Avenue, Belfast, tried to board his train home as the doors were closing but stumbled and fell between two carriages. Frantic efforts by a train inspector to pull him out failed and the man got caught underneath the wheels and was pulled along. He died almost instantaneously from spinal injuries.

Mr Hayward’s family raised questions at Dublin City Coroner’s Court regarding the victim’s death on March 17 last. Solicitor for the family Michael Finucane attempted to establish how the tragedy happened, and how Mr Hayward was able to be only a couple of feet away from the train, or possibly even leaning against it, when it started to pull out.