A man was electrocuted at Wimbledon railway station yesterday afternoon after eyewitnesses said he appeared to be “sleeping” on the tracks.
Photos show the smartly dressed man with his feet up on the track, his hands resting on his tummy, and fabric covering his face.
One commuter said he got up after station staff caught his attention – but he took three steps, tripped and fell back in between the tracks, and was then electrocuted.
The onlooker said: “I was commuting back home from work, and Wimbledon is the go-between.
“I was waiting for a train due to arrive at Platform 9 at about 3.55pm, when I saw a bunch of people all looking one way down the station.
“So I turned my head to look, and saw this young man asleep on the tracks.
“Platform guards were shouting down at him, trying to wake him up.
“After about 90 seconds of being there, I saw him stir, look around, and get up.
“He was clearly extremely drunk – you could tell he didn’t know where he was.
“He took two steps to the left, one to the right, as he tried to move.
“But he tripped and fell back in between the tracks, and was then electrocuted.
“He lay there stiff on the ground, twitching at the same time. I saw him start to smoke.
“We were evacuated straight away. But I haven’t been able to shake the picture of him dying there from my mind.
“He was of average height, and probably in his 20s. He was well-dressed, he didn’t look homeless to me, or anything like that.”
The British Transport Police said “officers attended alongside paramedics, however a person was sadly pronounced dead at the scene”.
A spokesperson added: “The death is not being treated as suspicious.
“Officers are now working to identify the person and inform their next of kin. A report will also be prepared for the coroner.”