Brighton Gazette - Thursday 23 July 1846

Narrow escape

Last Monday, on the arrival of one of the up trains at Hayward’s Heath, an elderly gentleman got out of the train for a moment, and on hearing the starting bell rung, hastened to regain his seat, but on taking hold of the door of the carriage, just as the train was in motion, stumbled and fell. The guard, seeing the imminent danger, alighted and rushed to his assistance, and had just time to lift his legs, or they would have been dragged under the wheels. An alarm was given, and the train was stopped soon enough to prevent an accident.

Had the guard not seized the gentleman at the instant he did, his legs must have been broken, probably severed by the wheels. His hat was crushed to atoms. A gentleman from Brighton, who was in the same carriage, stated that the passenger was perfectly sober at the time it happened.