Croydon tram crash survivors recall moment disaster struck 10 years on

Survivors of the Croydon tram disaster have recalled the terrifying moments before the vehicle overturned, as London marked 10 years since the crash that killed seven people and injured dozens more.The derailment near Sandilands on November 9, 2016, sent shockwaves across the country and prompted a major safety review. At a memorial service on Sunday, relatives, survivors and community leaders gathered to remember those who tragically lost their lives.Tram crash survivor Zehra Jaffer said that day began like any other. She boarded the tram at Lloyd Park stop on her way to work, but soon noticed something was wrong as it entered the Sandilands tunnel.“When you are a regular passenger you get used to every sound, the sound of the doors as they close, the rattle of the tram as it goes round the corner,” she said. Croydon tram crash survivor Zehra JafferFacundo Arrizabalaga“The tram should have slowed, and I caught a fellow passenger’s eye and I could see he thought the same.“As I turned my head, I could see those golden sparks of metal against the window. Then it happened.”At 6.07am on November 9, the tram approached a sharp bend near Sandilands tram stop. Despite the speed limit dropping from 50mph to 12mph, it failed to slow down and overturned.The seven people who died in the crash were Dane Chinnery, 19, Philip Seary, 57, Dorota Rynkiewicz, 35, Robert Huxley, 63, and Philip Logan, 52, all from the New Addington neighbourhood, and Donald Collett, 62, and Mark Smith, 35, both from Croydon.A memorial was held on Sunday to mark 10 years since the Croydon tram crashFacundo ArrizabalagaAn inquest returned verdicts of accidental death for all seven victims.Ms Jaffer said she refused to let the crash “define” her, but that “harrowing memories” of what happened on that fateful day had since been relayed to her by other survivors.She said that, while she was knocked out, two fellow passengers came to her aid by moving rocks to lift a frame that had trapped her legs.“I only found this out a couple of months after in a survivors meeting,” Ms Jaffer said. “I was unconscious, but I knew there was someone around me at the time.Read More“I still see one of them, if I get the early tram, and we often chat when we see each other. Whenever I look at them I think if you hadn’t done what you had, I don’t know where my legs would be.”Seven people died after the tram derailed PA ArchiveOther survivors who spoke at the memorial service talked about the trauma they continue to feel.“It is part of my history and part of the person I am now,” said Katrina, a survivor who had her statement read out during the ceremony.“There will be 61 different individual stories of the physical and emotional trauma of this accident. I sincerely hope each of us has found a way to cope with life over the last 10 years.”Families of those killed in the derailment laid wreaths at the memorial, alongside local leaders and members of the emergency services. There were prayers, speeches and music, with choirs from Fairchildes and Good Shepherd schools performing. The ceremony concluded with an emotional guitar rendition of Prince’s Purple Rain, performed by Daniel Allen, who dedicated the performance to his grandfather, Phillip Logan, one of the crash victims. Daniel Allen, whose grandfather, Phillip Logan, died in the Croydon tram crash, performing at the 10 year memorial ceremonyFacundo Arrizabalaga“Music was a really big part of the connection between me and my grandad,” said Mr Allen.“Purple Rain was a song that resonated quite deeply between me and my grandad. I thought it would be amazing to be able to play it for him.”Daniel, a member of local band 50 Calibre, said the ceremony showed how the community had remained united in the decade since the tragedy. Natasha Irons, Croydon East MP, said the impact of the derailment could still be felt on the New Addington community. The Labour politician said everyone in the community “knows someone that was impacted by this”.Asked if enough had been done by Transport for London following the incident, Ms Irons replied: “The outcomes from the investigation were measures that TfL had to put in place and they have done that. I think everybody can see that from themselves. “We just have to ensure that it never happens again.”