An inquest has found that 11-year-old Jaiden Shehata was probably distracted by his new smartphone when he was struck and killed by a train while walking to school in south London.
Jaiden, a Year 7 pupil at Riddlesdown Collegiate, died at Bourneview level crossing near Kenley on January 23, 2025, after leaving home 20 minutes earlier than usual without his older brother.
CCTV showed him holding a glowing object, believed to be his phone, shortly before the 8.03am collision. He was reportedly watching an eight-second WhatsApp video sent by a friend.
A jury concluded that his death was accidental, citing phone distraction and the crossing’s lack of warning lights or audible alerts as probable causes.
The crossing had been classified as high-risk, with safety improvements identified in a 2023 assessment, but work was not scheduled until March 2026. Network Rail later closed it after pressure from Jaiden’s family.
Senior coroner Sarah Ormond-Walshe told the family that phone distraction was common, adding: “Everybody, everybody, looks at their phone.”
She said she would issue a report aimed at preventing similar deaths.
Jaiden, a promising young footballer and Chelsea fan, suffered severe neck injuries and was pronounced dead at 8.52am.
