UK: barefoot night-time run leads to death on railway

[John Ashworth]

Private schoolgirl, 13, fell off railway bridge on to speeding train after going out of the house for a barefoot night-time run

- Zoe Miller would often go for a 'late night skip' if she could not sleep
- Happy teenager was standing on the parapet of bridge when speeding train passed underneath
- Inquest hears how she became disorientated, slipped and fell to her death

By ANNA EDWARDS | Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 16:00 GMT, 11 September 2012 | UPDATED: 00:51 GMT, 12 September 2012

A coroner has ruled that a girl died accidentally when she fell from a bridge on to a train during a late-night barefoot run.

Private school pupil Zoe Miller, 13, was said to be in the habit of taking exercise to help her sleep.

An inquest heard she enjoyed skipping and running to burn off energy, and on the night in question had clambered on to the parapet of a bridge to cross over railway tracks.

When a 60mph train passed underneath in the dark she is thought to have become 'disorientated' and fallen on to it.

Her body was spotted the next morning by another train driver as he passed through Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.

Zoe's parents, who live 100 yards away, had already realised that their daughter was missing and police contacted them shortly afterwards with the devastating news.

Deputy coroner Graham Danbury heard that Zoe had spent much of her life in South Africa, Nigeria and Zambia where she regularly went out walking or running barefoot to help her sleep.

She returned to the UK last summer with her mother Jane, 46, a senior health adviser for the Department for International Development, father Rob, 48, a scientist specialising in storing biological data, and sister Sam, 11.

Her parents released a statement after the inquest in which they said they 'miss her desperately'.

They added: 'We are privileged to have memories of nearly 14 wonderful years travelling the world with Zoe, and her adventurous free spirit will remain in our hearts for ever. We are now doing our best to move forward as a family of three.'

The court heard that Zoe was told to go to bed at 10pm on April 22. The following morning her parents discovered the back door closed but unlocked.

Police believe she crept out and walked to the bridge, which spans the busy West Coast line. The inquest in Hatfield heard she probably used a roadside barrier and 3ft-tall fence to climb on to the 5ft-tall stone parapet.

A southbound train heading towards Euston went under the bridge at 11.45pm. It came to a stop after a brief loss of power but was allowed to continue after no problem was found.

A post-mortem examination was carried out after Zoe's body was found at 6am. Her injuries were found to be consistent with falling on to a moving train.

Detective Inspector Andrew Rose said there was no evidence of anyone else being in the area at the time.

Diaries belonging to the pupil at £15,000-a-year all-girls Abbot's Hill School in Hemel Hempstead gave no indication that she was unhappy.

'Zoe was not a good sleeper and it was not unusual for her to go out at night and run around,' he said.

Speaking shortly after her daughter's death, Mrs Miller said her school bag and uniform were laid out ready for classes the next day and she had not left a suicide note.

Mr Danbury said: 'I am entirely satisfied this was a tragic accident.'

A Network Rail spokesman said it was planning changes to the structure of the bridge.