‘Selby Rail Crash was a freak occurrence

Kneeling by a mound of dirt next to the East Coast Main Line, officer Tony Thompson finished burying a Garfield figurine and gazed upon the tracks.

Less than a month before, he had been called out to Selby to cover one of the most tragic and structurally significant rail accidents in British history. Now aged 77, the former Superintendent of the British Transport Police often reflects on his involvement in the Great Heck Train Crash, A disaster that resulted in 10 fatalities and 82 serious injuries.[1][2][3] Advertisement

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On February 28, 2001, at around 6am, the Great North Eastern Service[4] to London King's Cross in Newcastle[5] carrying 99 souls smashed into a car on the tracks, throwing it into the path of a Freightliner service carrying 16 wagons of coal towards Eggborough Power Station from Immingham Docks.

The Land Rover had crashed onto the tracks after driver Gary Hart, 36, fell asleep at the wheel after talking all night with a woman he'd met through an internet dating agency until about 3am.

Hart was later convicted of 10 charges of death by dangerous driving and jailed for five years.

"I remember standing on the bridge above the tracks, shaking, trying to do this live interview" -Credit:Tony Thompson

Speaking with YorkshireLive, Tony recalled the first time he set eyes on the destruction Hart's foolish decision had left in its wake. "The wreckage was scattered in the fields," he said. "Aerial footage made the accident look small, but on the ground, you could see huge carriages badly damaged; it was quite a shock." Advertisement Advertisement

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At the time of the crash, Tony's role primarily involved dealing with the aftermath of public inquiries - whether that was speaking with families of injured and deceased or to the press. Tony explained that he had just wrapped up the coverage of the Ladbroke Grove rail crash on October 5, 1999, when he was told to take his boss's unmarked police car and tear down the road to North Yorkshire.[6]

Tony said: "I remember one of the first interviews I did and how cold it was - it was so bitter.

I remember standing on the bridge above the tracks, shaking, trying to do this live interview. I remember thinking I can't sound like a blubbering wreck. I had to pull my collar up to my ears, something which I would never usually do."

Tony would go on to play an instrumental hand in the investigations surrounding the circumstances of the crash.

Tony said: "This was different from all of the crashes I had ever covered in that there was no blame to be attributed to the railway at all - this was a road traffic accident.

"I remember, I was trying to understand what had happened. At the scene, we had this damaged Land Rover, and we had to piece everything together. How did the car even get down there?"

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It was eventually discovered that the accident was caused by a "billion-to-one" freak occurrence. At around 06.10 AM, Land Rover driver Gary Hart was towing a trailer on the M62 motorway. He fell asleep at the wheel, veering off the motorway, down an embankment, and coming to rest on the East Coast Main Line tracks.

File photo dated 12/07/04 of Gary Hart, who was found guilty of 10 charges of causing death by dangerous driving -Credit:PA

Hart escaped the vehicle and was on the phone with emergency services when the southbound GNER InterCity 225 passenger train, traveling at 125 mph, struck the Land Rover.

The impact derailed the train's leading carriage (the Driving Van Trailer), and although it remained upright, the derailed passenger train continued sliding - hitting a set of points (track switches) that deflected it into the path of an oncoming Freightliner coal train.

The two trains collided head-on with a combined closing speed of 142 mph. Tragically, 10 people were killed in the crash, including the driver of the GNER passenger train, John Weddle, the driver of the freight train, Steven Dunn, two additional rail staff, and six passengers.

As a liaison officer, Tony was in charge of speaking to the press, handling press inquiries, and speaking with family members. He told YorkshireLive[7] that he can remember "every interaction".

From being photographed with the wife and children of driver Steven Dunn, to speaking with Margitta Needham in the days after her husband - Barry Needham - died, and finally, burying a small memorial a month later for the family of a deceased passenger.

A memorial service is set to be held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the crash -Credit:Tony Thompson

Returning a month after the crash, Tony said: "The person who had died was a fan of Garfield, so a month later on a visit with the railway liaison, I dug a hole in the side of the track and buried the figurine." Advertisement Advertisement

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Ever since, Tony has been working alongside the bereaved and has been highly praised by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service for his efforts. His commendation at the official commendation ceremony in 2003, read: "Former Supt.

Thompson is to be commended for the way in which he performed his duties...His professionalism in carrying out his tasks was exemplary and in the highest traditions of the police service."

Now retired, Tony is set to visit Selby to help host the memorial service commemorating the 25th anniversary of the crash this Saturday (February 28).

Rail officials inspecting the site of the horrific train crash in Selby North Yorks, where two train drivers, two others GNER staff and six passengers died on February 28 2001, after the Newcastle to London passenger service struck a Land Rover which had careered off the M62 motorway and crashed onto the track -Credit:John Giles/PA Wire

Candles are due to be lit in memory of those who died, during which the organ will play quietly, and the names will be read.

Family members will be invited to light the candles of their loved ones: Steve Baldwin, Steve Dunn, Alan Ensor, Barry Needham, Raymond Robson, Robert Shakespeare, Paul Taylor, Christopher Terry, Clive Vidgen, andJohn Weddle

Reflecting on the crash in its entirety, Tony said that he was proud of the almost 2,000 emergency responders who turned out to assist.

Tony said: "You never get a textbook emergency response, but thanks to the hard work of every officer, paramedic, and fire crew, it was as good as it could have been."

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References

1. ^ called out to Selby (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
2. ^ Great Heck Train Crash, (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
3. ^ resulted in 10 fatalities and 82 serious injuries. (uk.news.yahoo.com)
4. ^ Great North Eastern Service (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
5. ^ Newcastle (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
6. ^ tear down the road to North Yorkshire. (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
7. ^ YorkshireLive (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
8. ^ Here's more information (uk.news.yahoo.com)
9. ^ here (www.google.com)
10. ^ signing up to our newsletter here. (www.examinerlive.co.uk)