Epilepsy sufferer Royceston Sargeant struck by train after being struck by seizure
00:01, 25 August 2018
A 51-year-old man was struck by a train minutes after he collapsed and suffered a seizure, an inquest heard.
Royceston Sargeant had been waiting on the platform at East Malling Station on Saturday, March 17, at around 7am when CCTV cameras captured his final moments.
During an inquest held at Archbishops Palace in Maidstone, footage showed Mr Sargeant buying his ticket as he looked to catch a train into the county town.
Minutes later he is seen falling to the floor and fitting.
When Mr Sargeant gets up he staggers towards the end of the platform before lying down on the tracks in a disorientated state.
Within seconds a Canterbury-bound train travelling at 35-40mph hits him.
Coroner Katrina Hepburn heard how Mr Sargeant, a keen computer gamer, had been looking for work while living alone in Limes Crescent, East Malling. He had signed up with Pudding Lane recruitment firm Extra Staff.
It was also revealed Mr Sargeant had suffered from epilepsy since 1984 and had kept it under control with medication.
However, toxicology reports found he had no trace of the drug in his system at the time of his death. The cause of death was given as fatal injuries.
Recording a narrative conclusion Miss Hepburn said: “There was nothing in his background to indicate he intended to take his own life. This is not a case of suicide.”
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