‘Obvious risk of further tragedy’ at rail crossing type at which Amazon driver died, inquiry finds

Call for overhaul of manually operated level crossings after delivery worker was killed by passenger train in Kent

An Amazon delivery driver was killed by a train after he drove his van on to railway tracks at a manually operated level crossing, apparently without realising he needed to open the exit gate first, an official investigation has reported.

Safety inspectors said there was “an obvious risk of further tragedy”, with a second similar fatal event still being investigated, and called for an overhaul of this type of crossing.

The van driver, Brandon Hatcher, 23, of Ashford, Kent, died at the Bax crossing near Teynham after being hit by a passenger train from Ramsgate to London in July last year.