Mystery death of trainspotter hit by express

Trains were teenager Cameron Faulkner's life - and tragically his death - an inquest heard.
Cameron Faulkner had a passion for the railway.Cameron Faulkner had a passion for the railway.
Cameron Faulkner had a passion for the railway.

The 19-year-old from Wigan, who had a passion for the railway, was hit by an express at a Lancashire station.

A coroner decided Cameron had intended to kill himself, but it wasn't clear why.

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Although he had stopped taking medication for attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome (ADHD), the trainspotter had appeared his normal self at his assisted living accommodation in Coops Foyer when his learning support officer last saw him the previous day.

"It came as a shock when I found out it was suicide," said Jessica Heyes at the inquest in Preston. "I saw him the day before and he seemed happy in himself, happy and giddy, his normal self."

The inquest heard Cameron had a real passion for trains and shared it on YouTube and social media pages with other railway enthusiasts. He would spend much of his spare time at train stations.

Ms Heyes said: "I got to know quite a lot of British Transport Police by name because of him being at the station. A lot of the time they would bring him home.

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"He was energetic, very inquisitive, very enthusiastic and was passionate about trains, ironically.

"He struggled to find work and he struggled with relationships. But he seemed to be going through life OK."

Coroner Richard Taylor heard Cameron had been taken to hospital in 2018 after threatening suicide.

A British Transport Police investigator said on the afternoon of October 17 the driver of a train passing through a station reported seeing a blue object appear from his left and then there was a bang.

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The driver of another train in the station had noticed Cameron standing alone near the edge of the track thought 'Wow, he's close.' He added: "It was a deliberate act."

The moment was caught on CCTV. Cameron wasn't pushed and didn't trip, said the Coroner.

The cause of death was given as "multiple trauma." His GP had described him as being "vulnerable" because of his ADHD, but Cameron had not seen anyone at the surgery for over a year.

Reaching a conclusion of suicide, Coroner Taylor said: "We will never know why. What he did was a deliberate act with the sole intention of ending his life."

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