Huntingdon train attack survivor praises hero passenger Stephen Crean

A teenager, who was onboard the train near Huntingdon when a man started attacking passengers with a knife last Saturday, said her life “could have been so different” without the bravery of fellow passenger Stephen Crean.

This week Mr Crean said he confronted the attacker who was holding a large knife to give others time to escape.

Now, 19-year-old Astrid, who does not want to give her last name, has told the BBC she believes his actions saved her and others from serious injury or worse.

The teenager, who was travelling alone, said she started running up the carriage as others ran past shouting that a man had a knife and was stabbing people.

“I came across the buffet car which was almost full, but I managed to get in there as the last person,” said Astrid. “Then Stephen Crean placed himself in front of me, between myself and the attacker, and then he tried to reason with him in a way.

“The attacker showed his knife, showed his weapon and Stephen Crean threw himself at the attacker in order for me to have the opportunity to close the door. I witnessed Stephen Crean unfortunately get injured and I didn’t see him after that.”

Astrid is in no doubt how vital his actions were, saying he was a hero. “I think undoubtedly, if Stephen wasn’t there, I would have been seriously injured, as well as many other people in that buffet car,” she said.

“My message to him would be that I’m so thankful for his actions because my life could have been so different. I’m so lucky to be here walking around unharmed.”

Mr Crean told the BBC on Monday how he had been stabbed on his hand, back and head as he “tussled” with the attacker and was determined not to let him past until he was sure everyone who had barricaded themselves in the buffet car was safe.

He said: “That door still wasn’t shut behind me because I could still see [a passenger] struggling to close it. So until I knew it was I wasn’t moving away from it.”

Astrid said she was pulling at the door of the buffet car to try and close it and other passengers were inside holding onto the door as others called the police.

Everyone in the buffet car was in “a state of shock”, she said as she praised Mr Crean’s calm in the moment.

“A lot of people hypothesize what they would have done, or whether they would have been able to take on the attacker,” said Astrid. “But it’s if you are brave enough in that moment and it’s much easier said than done.

“The fact that Stephen had that courage when he only had a split second decision to make is so admirable.”

The BBC told a tearful Mr Crean about Astrid’s message to him. “It makes you feel so proud. That’s made my life. I’m just so happy now. That’s the best thing ever, knowing that I’ve actually done something…It’s good news that they’re safe, and that’s what I set out to do, to protect.”

Mr Crean now faces an operation on his fingers which were sliced by the attacker as he confronted him.

An online fundraiser has raised more than £50,000 for him including donations from Nottingham Forest football club whose match he was returning from.

The LNER train was travelling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross and stopped at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, shortly before 20:00 GMT on Saturday as the attack unfolded.

The train driver Andrew Johnson and rail worker Samir Zitouni are among those who have been praised for their actions on the night.

Anthony Williams, 32, has been charged with 11 counts of attempted murder, including that of Mr Crean, two counts of possession of a bladed article and one count of actual bodily harm.

One of the attempted murder count relates to a separate incident.