Boy, 7, dies in museum engine accident

A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy has died at an open-air museum after suffering head injuries in an accident involving a steam-powered traction engine.

Durham Constabulary said the youngster was pronounced dead at the scene of the tragedy at the Beamish Museum, which was evacuated.

A police spokeswoman said the driver of the engine had been taken to hospital suffering from shock after the incident, which happened shortly before 3pm.

Durham Constabulary said officers were alerted by the ambulance service and were conducting a joint inquiry with the Health and Safety Executive.

Insp Steve Dowdle said: “The engine driver will be spoken 
to by police at an appropriate time and is being treated as a witness.

“The identities of those involved are not being released, but it is understood that neither of them were visitors to the 
museum.”

The museum’s director, 
Richard Evans, issued a statement through police.

“We are naturally shocked and our thoughts are with 
the boy’s family at this time,” he said.