Intoxicated Man Died After Falling onto Subway Tracks and Being Struck 7 Times, 1 Driver Mistook Body for an ‘Inflatable Doll’

Intoxicated Man Died After Falling onto Subway Tracks and Being Struck 7 Times, 1 Driver Mistook Body for an ‘Inflatable Doll’ https://ift.tt/egfqOdl

"All deaths are tragic in their own way. Brian's death is particularly harrowing, and the CCTV is something I'll think about for a long time," the senior coroner for East London said

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Stratford Station in London

NEED TO KNOW

• An intoxicated man, 72, died after falling onto subway tracks and being struck seven times by multiple trains in London in December 2023
• An inquest, which concluded on Dec. 17, 2025, determined that the man's death was accidental
• During the inquest, it was revealed that one of the train drivers mistook the man's body for an “inflatable doll”

Nearly two years after a man was struck and killed after falling onto the tracks at a London Underground station, an inquest has determined his death to be accidental.

On Dec. 26, 2023, 72-year-old Brian Mitchell, who was intoxicated at the time, stumbled and fell on the tracks at the Stratford metro station in East London and was run over seven times by Jubilee line trains coming in and out of Platform 13, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said at the jury inquest at East London Coroner's Court, per the BBC, The Standard and MyLondon.

According to a report released by RAIB in January 2025, Mitchell had been sitting on a bench on the platform when he stood up around 2:45 p.m., "immediately stumbled forwards" and then fell onto the adjacent track. Mitchell had 272 mg of alcohol in his system, more than three times the legal driving limit, per the BBC.

Unable to "get to a position of safety," Mitchell lay on the track "undiscovered" for five minutes before the first arriving train struck him, according to RAIB's report. Three other incoming trains proceeded to enter the terminal platform and strike him.

The drivers of the trains either failed to see Mitchell on the tracks or failed to react quickly enough, RAIB said at the inquest, per the outlets. The emergency brakes were not applied by any of the four incoming train operators.

The operator of the first train may have been distracted due to “the use of automatic train operation," and the third driver mistook Mitchell's body for an "inflatable doll," RAIB said, per the outlets. The fourth train operator did not apply the emergency brake due to being in shock. The jury determined that no signal was given to stop the trains.

Mitchell, who was wearing dark clothing at the time, sustained multiple injuries. An autopsy determined his primary cause of death was blunt-force trauma to the chest and head, per the outlets.

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East London Coroner’s Court

Graeme Irvine, senior coroner for East London, said during the inquest that he will be issuing a report to TfL [Transport for London], as he warned there is a significant risk of other such tragedies occurring on Platform 13.

"All deaths are tragic in their own way. Brian's death is particularly harrowing, and the CCTV is something I'll think about for a long time," Irvine added, per the BBC. "The images probably compound the grief felt by the family, and for that I'm truly sorry."

Mitchell's family was represented by Thomas Jervis and Philippa Wheeler of the law firm Leigh Day. Following the conclusion of the inquest on Dec. 17, Jervis said they found it "almost unbelievable" that Mitchell was struck seven times.

"The facts of this case are truly harrowing. It has been really difficult for Brian’s family to hear that Brian was hit by a tube train not only once, but seven times," Jervis said, per the outlets.

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"They have found it almost unbelievable that this was able to happen," he added. "People who use the TfL network assume the right processes are in place to ensure safety."

Jervis went on to reference Irvine's warning, telling the jury, "The coroner has been clear — he has ongoing concerns that further lives could be at risk, and he will be issuing a prevention of future deaths report. While this legal case will not bring Brian back, his family sincerely hopes that meaningful change will be introduced so that this cannot happen again."

Claire Mann, TfL's chief operating officer, said in a statement to PEOPLE: "We will respond to the coroner's prevention of future deaths report and are taking action to prevent incidents like this from happening again."

PEOPLE has reached out to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and the East London Coroner's office for comment.