Oblivious pedestrian nearly struck by New Zealand train

Transit officials in New Zealand shared video of an oblivious pedestrian’s near-miss with an electric train she failed to see coming.

The security camera footage, posted to YouTube Auckland Transport, shows an oblivious woman walking through the railroad crossing at the Mount Eden station Friday morning.

The woman appears to notice the oncoming train at the last moment and speeds up her final step enough to avoid being struck by the train.

The video shows several other people walking across the tracks in front of the woman, ignoring flashing lights and warning bells.

“We’ve checked the footage of this morning’s incident and we can see the woman checked to her right before crossing but not to her left and that’s where the train was coming from,” Auckland Transport rail services manager Craig Inger told the New Zealand Herald. “It’s really important that you check both directions before crossing, a train can come from either direction.”

Inger said the city’s electric trains are far quieter than the old diesel trains, making awareness more important at crossings.

“You can’t be using your phone or have earphones on because you might miss the warning lights or bells,” he said.

UPI