RailSA

A YOUTH narrowly escaped death today when he was hit by a train as he retrieved his i-Pod from a suburban railway line.

The 16-year-old Eynesbury College student was waiting for a city-bound train at the Mitchell Park railway station about 11.30 am when he dropped his i-Pod onto the railway line.

The youth jumped from the platform onto the track to retrieve it as the train approached the station.

The train hit him and dragged him for a short distance until it came to a stop.

Transit Police Sergeant Dennis Franklin said the youth was lucky to be alive.

“He was dragged about 3m by the train,” he said.

“The train was travelling at a very slow speed, which was fortunate for him, because it was coming into the railway station.

“The train driver braked when he saw him jump onto the track.

“You have to be extremely careful at railway stations.”

Blood splatters on the railway platform showed where the youth was worked on by paramedics before he was taken to the Flinders Medical Centre with arm and back injuries.

The Metropolitan Fire Service was called to the scene because it was thought the youth was trapped under the train.

The train and platform were cordoned off as crime scene investigators examined the scene.

There were no passengers on the train at the time.