Overground driver who derailed prepare with cocaine in his system is jailed
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driver who derailed an Overground prepare after falling asleep on the wheel with cocaine in his system has been jailed.
Erkan Mehmet, 44, of Middle Street, Waltham Abbey, pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to endangering the safety of the railway and was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail on Friday, British Transport Police (BTP) mentioned.
On October 12, 2021, Mehmet was driving a London Overground prepare to Enfield Town when he entered platform two on the station and didn’t cease – earlier than crashing into the buffers, inflicting the entrance carriage to derail.
The carriage got here off the tracks and was caught about 5 ft within the air at an angle with round 50 passengers on board on the time, with a few of them reporting minor accidents and shock.
A breathalyser check given to Mehmet on the scene got here again adverse, however a urine pattern examined optimistic for cocaine.
BTP mentioned the drug in all probability entered his system within the 24 hours earlier than the incident.
In an interview with detectives, Mehmet claimed to have by no means taken medication and mentioned he fell asleep on the wheel as a result of he solely had a pair hours of sleep the evening earlier than.
Detective Constable Gemma Littlewood mentioned: “Train drivers are entrusted with the safety of every passenger onboard so it is frankly unthinkable that Mehmet turned up to work in a condition which left him falling asleep at the wheel, putting them all in significant danger.
“It is only through luck that nobody was seriously injured or worse, killed, as a result of his actions that day.
“Investigators have worked closely with Arriva Rail London, who fully supported the investigation, to ensure he has been brought before the courts to face justice and while incidents like this are rare, we will continue to relentlessly investigate anyone suspected of putting passengers in danger and hold them to account.”
Paul Hutchings, managing director at Arriva Rail London, mentioned: “We take the safety and security of our customers and colleagues incredibly seriously.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol, which exceeds industry standards, and the driver involved was immediately suspended following the incident and subsequently dismissed after returning a positive test result.”