A SEAFORD man had a narrow escape when he inadvertently drove his mobility scooter off a Frankston train station platform and into the path of an oncoming train, 11.15am, Saturday 23 September.
The 69-year-old was attempting to manoeuvre the scooter on Platform 2 when he ran over the edge and crashed to the ground. He suffered a severely broken left leg, police said.
The Metro Trains driver saw the man fall and managed to stop the train, reportedly causing traffic delays at the Overton Rd level crossing.
Ambulance, fire brigade and police attended the incident and the man was taken by ambulance to The Alfred hospital.
Services between Frankston and Carrum resumed at 12.20pm after the mobility scooter was removed from the tracks.
There were delays of up to an hour between Carrum and Frankston; two services had to be cancelled and 10 rescheduled.
“This would have been a terrifying experience and our thoughts and concern are for our passenger involved,” Metro Trains spokesperson Marcus Williams said.
“We’re grateful for the professionalism and care provided by our staff who responded immediately and assisted the emergency services when they arrived shortly after.
“Although this type of incident is rare, we are always working to provide a safe and accessible network for everyone and partner with accessibility organisations.
“We are currently investigating this incident. “
Mr Williams said Metro had established an accessibility reference group to provide advice and guidance to continuously improve the accessibility on the metropolitan rail network.
“Groups such as Vision Australia, Guide Dogs Victoria, Travellers Aid and Scope provide travel training through events such as Try Before You Ride seminars, which encourage customers to practice boarding and alighting trains safely,” he said.
