Chiswick Teen Dies After Falling Onto Live Rail Track

Police are treating Sam Griffiths’ tragic death as an accident

A Chiswick teenager has died after falling onto a live rail track.

16 year old Sam Griffiths was with friends at Burgess Hill Station on New Year’s Day when the accident happened.

According to The Sun, station staff and friends hauled him back on to the platform where paramedics battled to save him for 45 minutes. He died later in hospital.

Of the last time he spoke to his "devoted" son, Ian Griffiths said, "There are no words to explain how I feel. People ask if there is anything they can do but the one thing I need they can't do - bring Sam back. I spoke to him after 12.30am to say happy New Year and he was calm and relaxed. He said, 'I love you dad'. I said I loved him and told him to take care. Typically, he ignored what I'd said to him. It was a tragic accident."

Sam was a boarder at Hurstpierpoint School. Headmaster Tim Manly told The Sun, “He very quickly made a lot of good friends. He was a very keen sportsman and an outstanding rugby player who had toured for the school in Ireland. He used to do tennis coaching during the summer. He was full of life with a gentle and friendly manner.”

Police are studying CCTV footage of the moments leading to Sam’s fatal fall. A spokesman said that they were treating the tragedy as an accident.”

January 5, 2009