Inquest verdict on crush death
A LORRY driver was crushed to death between two wagons after he forgot to use his handbrake, an inquest heard.
Jose Rodrigues, a 55-year-old Portuguese driver, got trapped between two articulated trucks when his lorry jack-knifed as he carried out safety checks.
Wakefield Coroner's Court heard how Mr Rodrigues forgot to put on the handbrake as he was checking the cables that joined his trailer to the cab.
As he walked around the side of the vehicle to get back into the cab, the lorry rolled back and jack-knifed, crushing him against another truck parked next to his in the motorway services at Woolley Edge.
Mr Rodrigues, who had 20 years' experience as a lorry driver, was on his way to Edinburgh to pick up a consignment to take back to Portugal.
Police and firefighters were called to the scene at 10.45am on April 23 but Mr Rodrigues, who was divorced, had already choked to death. He was taken to the mortuary at Pinderfields Hospital.
Assistant deputy coroner Alan Benstock, who recorded a verdict of accidental death, said: "This was a very unfortunate accident. Mr Rodrigues was clearly an experienced lorry driver. There was nothing wrong with the vehicle or the conditions at the service station."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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