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Jul 01, 2023

Monmouthshire: Digger crushed man to death, inquest hears

Jamie Meyrick was killed when delivering a mini digger in October 2022 At a glance Jamie Meyrick, 21, was crushed to death by a mini digger, an inquest hears Newport Coroner's Court hears he got

Jamie Meyrick was killed when delivering a mini digger in October 2022

At a glance

Jamie Meyrick, 21, was crushed to death by a mini digger, an inquest hears

Newport Coroner's Court hears he got trapped and crushed when trying to escape his cab

He was described as an experienced HGV driver

An inquest jury concludes his death was accidental

A 21-year-old was crushed to death while delivering a mini digger, an inquest has heard.

Jamie Meyrick was delivering it to Barnes Plant Sales in Penpergwm, near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, when it tipped over and crushed him in October 2022.

The inquest at Newport Coroner's Court heard the lorry driver tried to jump out of the digger's cab but became trapped underneath and was killed by his injuries.

His death was ruled accidental by an inquest jury.

The court heard Mr Meyrick had gained his HGV licence 12 months before completing a one-year course with his twin brother Josh.

His mother Jill Meyrick said he had significant experience working at the family business in Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire, and had recently returned home after working for a company in New Zealand for nine months.

Prior to the accident, the machinery Mr Meyrick was collecting was second hand and its condition was unknown.

He collected his load from West Yorkshire and drove it to Barnes Plant Sales where it was to be reconditioned and sold on.

Sian Clayton, head of field operations for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said the bucket at the front of the mini digger had been removed before it was loaded onto the lorry to maximise the space available.

He then got into the digger to reverse it down the ramp backwards when the accident happened.

The area where the lorry parked to offload the mini digger at Barnes Plant Sales

She said it was possible that it toppled because of the counter weight, but told the court "we will never know for definite".

The ramp was angled at a sensible gradient and there was no way to examine the digger because police impounded it, she said.

Although the cab of the digger was fitted with roll bars which might have protected Mr Meyrick, it did not have a seatbelt.

"This was not a fully functioning machine," Ms Clayton added.

Senior Coroner Caroline Saunders said no one knew how or why the digger had toppled.

She said the HSE investigation had not found any breaches of industry standards.

The jury was also told HSE guidance says machinery should be driven off ramps forwards if possible, but it was guidance - not a strict rule.

Mr Meyrick was still conscious when his colleagues used a forklift to lift the digger off him, the inquest heard, but paramedics were unable to save him when they arrived.

A post-mortem examination found he suffered major crush injuries.

Health and Safety Executive