Investigation launched into death of man, 81, hit by Sheffield tram

The elderly man had reportedly gotten off an inbound tram when he was hit by another travelling in the opposite direction from Sheffield city centre to Meadowhall at 13mph while using the crossing at the northern end of the the Woodbourn Road tram stop.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch announced today it will work with police and transport bosses as part of a formal investigation into the incident, which happened on December 22 at 10am.

A spokesperson for the RAIB said: "Because no one was waiting at the outbound platform and no one on board requested that the tram stop, it was travelling through the stop at around 13 mph.

"Our investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events which led to the accident and consider any factors which may have influenced the actions of the tram driver and the pedestrian. It will also consider any relevant underlying management factors.

"Our investigation is independent of any investigation by Stagecoach Supertram, the Office of Rail and Road, or South Yorkshire Police.

"We will publish our findings, including any safety recommendations, at the conclusion of our investigation; these will be available on our RAIB website."