Passenger Accounts of Bedford Train Collision
Passengers aboard two trains that collided near Bedford on Friday afternoon have shared their experiences with the BBC, describing the panic and injuries that followed the crash.
According to the British Transport Police, one person died and "a number of others" sustained injuries in the incident.
The East of England Ambulance Service reported that nearly 90 people were injured, with over 30 suffering serious injuries.
Teresa Itabor’s Experience
Teresa Itabor, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, was traveling on the 16:57 train from Wellingborough to London to celebrate her birthday.
She recounted that she had her eyes closed and headphones on when the collision occurred.
"We left Bedford station and there was a massive bang... I didn't know what was going on; my head hit the seat in front of me," she said.
"I opened my eyes and that's when I saw people on the floor with blood everywhere."
She added that the carriage doors were jammed and would not open after the crash.
Dr Peter Knapp’s Description
Passenger Dr Peter Knapp told the BBC he was in the "front carriage of the train that collided into another one."
"When I got up, I saw all of the chairs everywhere. It felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion.
When I got up, I saw people's bloodied faces and people's legs looked broken and there was smoke everywhere," he said.
Speaking from the roadside, Knapp described police taking passenger details while some were transported to hospital.
"Some people are spitting out blood," he said.
Brett Byatt’s Observations
Brett Byatt, another passenger onboard, said he noticed something was wrong because the train usually does not slow down between Bedford and Luton, but he felt it brake.
He explained the train initially slowed gradually before a sudden impact.
"Then it was like a boom, smash, and everyone that was sat down went flying into one another."
"There was a woman in front of me that had completely snapped her leg, and there was a woman behind her, they were sort of on top of each other, she couldn't move because of her back.
There was a guy further down the carriage that couldn't move his neck, he was laid on the floor and people were holding him still".
Shola Mene’s Account
Another passenger, Shola Mene, described the collision as a powerful impact.
"The collision was like a big bang."
"Then people flew from their seats, the seats were pulling, and then someone just flew across and hit my husband in the face.
There was a lot of blood," she said. "A lot of people had facial injuries."
