A ‘beautiful’ woman died after being run over by a tram after climbing on the metal that links two carriages. Chloe Jackson, from Droylsden, ran towards her local Metrolink stop with a ‘significant amount’ of heroin in her system as the tram was about to depart shortly before 8pm in December last year.
The 33-year-old had a history of drug abuse, and heroin was one of a number of drugs in her system at the time of her death. Shocked eye-witnesses at the time said they 'could not believe' the Fairfield Drive resident was climbing on the coupling that connected the trams as it was set to depart.
When the vehicle set off, she lost her footing and fell under the tram, the Coroner’s Court in Stockport heard.
Chloe's parents described how difficult it was to deal with her issue with drugs, going long periods without contact from her. “Everyone around this had lots and lots of heartache and upset,” Sally Goodwin, Chloe’s heartbroken mother, said.
“She was a beautiful, happy young girl. Then it just all went wrong and I am so sad and heartbroken.”
She went on to explain that her daughter had last spoken to her on Christmas Day in 2019 and that Chloe’s father had also been working hard to try and help her. Roger Jackson ‘always held out hope she could turn her life around’.
Senior Coroner Alison Mutch, before concluding her death on December 17 was a ‘tragic accident’, said: “It is clear that both of her mum and dad have tried very hard to help her and you all care very much for her. Had she sought help I am confident her family would have provided that.”
An investigation into Chloe’s death conducted by Greater Manchester Police came to the same conclusion as the coroner, that this was a tragic accident. Having worked in conjunction with Metrolink, they believe the driver was in no way at fault for Chloe’s death.
The driver was subjected to drug and alcohol testing as well as a mobile phone check which all came back clear. The tram driver’s duty when setting off is to ‘check the path ahead is clear and to make sure all the doors and platform edge is clear’, a Metrolink spokesman said at the hearing.
Darren Cawthrone, a team manager at Metrolink, explained that CCTV had shown Chloe running towards the tram when it was stationary and had then gone out of view. ‘There doesn’t seem to be anything untoward on the CCTV at that point [when the tram set off]’, he said, describing the events.
Metrolink is now planning to include more signage in the section of the trams where the coupling is in order to prevent future incidents like this.
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