CCTV camera catches 2 teen girls doing DANGEROUS handstands near railway tracks
The terrifying moment where two adolescent girls were caught on camera executing handstands at a level crossing was captured on CCTV. Following the release of the video, Network Rail issued an urgent warning, stating that the railway tracks were "not a picture opportunity."
The incident occurred in Broxtowe, Nottinghamshire, England, on a section of rail tracks that trains travelling at speeds of up to 80 mph utilise. The teens allegedly displayed a "blatant disregard for their own safety and the safety of others," according to police.
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Several others were also seen taking pictures while standing on the crossing, with one guy lying down on the tracks. In just nine days, a recent assessment of the crossing in Attenborough Nature Reserve found 22 such instances of abuse.
"This behaviour at the Nature Reserve level crossing is just appalling," said Network Rail route director Gary Walsh. "The train is not a photo opportunity, and stopping or loitering on the lines is never safe," he added.
"The two girls performing handstands are utterly unaware of the hazards they are exposing themselves to. This episode may have had fatal implications for them, their friends, and their families. The persons in this clip are obviously demonstrating a disturbing and blatant disrespect for their own safety and the safety of others," said British Transport Police Inspector Mark Clements. "Trespassing is a criminal offence that can have disastrous results or result in life-altering injuries. We monitor this area on a daily basis and remind everyone of the need of being cautious around the train and not trespassing," he added.
Another similar event with the handstands was captured on camera in July. A couple was captured on CCTV posing for wedding pictures while standing at a level crossing in Whitby, North Yorkshire, 12 months prior. Network Rail stated that it is doing "everything we can" to improve level crossing safety, but that communities must "work with us." According to Network Rail, the crossing was wrongly used 22 times out of 5,400 times during a nine-day census from 30 October to 7 November, with 14 of those being individuals pausing to snap pictures.
A number of individuals were also observed wearing headphones, which may have hampered their ability to hear incoming trains, according to the railway operator. The business stated that it was collaborating with Nottinghamshire County Council, Broxtowe Borough Council, and the British Transport Police (BTP) to prevent individuals from abusing level crossings. To make it apparent when it is safe to cross, a red and green traffic light system was placed at the crossing in 2019. But that hasn't stopped some people from pulling risky stunts at the crossing.
