LONDON, (Reuters) – A Surrey county cricketer was killed by a train in London today shortly after police saw a man matching his description run from a car they had flagged down because it was being driven erratically.
Batsman Tom Maynard, 23, son of former England and Glamorgan player Matthew Maynard, was hit by the train on the subway network near Wimbledon Park station in the southwest of the capital just after 0400 GMT (0500 BST).
Maynard, tipped as a possible future England player, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Officers stopped a vehicle after it was seen being driven erratically,” Scotland Yard said in a statement. “The male driver of the vehicle – a black Mercedes C250 – made off on foot. Officers were unable to locate the man.
“At approx 0510 BST (0410 GMT) the body of a man fitting the same description was found on tracks near Wimbledon Park station.”
The man seen running from the car has yet to be formally identified, a police spokesman added. The case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, a watchdog that investigates all deaths where a person has had contact with the police.
British Transport Police earlier said Maynard’s death was not being treated as suspicious and that the case would be passed to the coroner. He had played for Surrey in a Twenty20 match against Kent just hours previously, on Sunday afternoon.
His club said he was a huge talent who had the potential to follow his father into full international cricket, having already played for the England Lions, the second tier national side.
“Tom Maynard was a prodigiously talented young batsman who had made an incredible start to his career and was clearly destined for far greater things,” Surrey chairman Richard Thompson said in a statement.
“There is a profound sense of loss at the passing of Tom. To lose anybody at such a young age is an utterly senseless tragedy.”
Born in the Welsh capital Cardiff in 1989, Maynard began his career at Glamorgan before signing a three-year deal with Surrey County Cricket Club in 2011.
After making his senior debut as an 18-year-old, he earned a reputation as a powerful hitter and averaged more than 40 in domestic competitions in 2011.
Giles Clarke, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECC) said Maynard’s death was a “tragic loss”.
“Tom was a player of enormous potential who had already represented England Lions and had an exciting future ahead of him,” he said in a statement.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said on Twitter: “Someone with so much talent and so much to look forward to. Why is life so cruel sometimes?”
Surrey postponed a planned game against Hampshire Royals at the Oval on Wednesday as a mark of respect.
