Derailed by passion

22 August 2014 - 02:26 By ©The Daily Telegraph
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Train fares in Britain are among the most expensive in the world
Train fares in Britain are among the most expensive in the world
Image: David Ingham/Wikimedia Commons

A "devoted" father died in front of a train driven by his former girlfriend after struggling with the end of their relationship.

Diane MacDonald, 29, was unable to stop the train after seeing Gary Wells, 36, on the track in Scotland.

MacDonald, the first female train driver on the scenic West Highland Line in Scotland, had to be sedated after the crash because she was so distressed.

It emerged the couple, who had been in a long-term relationship, split up three weeks before Wells was killed on Tuesday morning at Inverlochy, near the town of Fort William.

Friends said Wells was thought to have been struggling to cope with the break-up.

A friend, who did not want to be named, said Wells was "devoted" to his son, Lewis.

Wells's family were too distressed to speak about the incident.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: "His death is currently not being treated as suspicious."

Wells became the youngest qualified driver at First ScotRail in 2009 after starting her railway career at the age of 19.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now