‘The complete family man’
THE family of a doting grandfather who died when a large piece of concrete smashed through his car windscreen have paid tribute to the “complete family man”.
Steven Oscroft died on July 7 last year when the concrete fell from a lorry into his windscreen, killing him instantly.
The 60-year-old was taking his wife and two grandchildren strawberry picking when the tragedy occurred on Netherfield Lane, near Ollerton.
An inquest into the Shirebrook grandfather’s death concluded that Mr Oscroft died when the concrete fell from an unsecured load of a Paul Wainwright Construction Services lorry.
The company, from Hucknall, is still yet to give its side of the story after a coroner called for it to provide evidence that it had acted since the grandfather’s death.
Mr Oscroft’s wife Denise, 60, who witnessed the fatal incident alongside her two young grandchildren, described Mr Oscroft as a “very good husband” who would do anything for his family.
And the family, who have been calling for changes to regulations on tipper lorries and unsecured loads, also praised Shirebrook people for rallying around after his tragic death.
Speaking to the Post, his daughter Becky Marsh, 35, said the family “don’t know what we’d have done” without continued support from people around them.
“We’re very lucky that we’re a very close family, we always have been, and we’ve just looked after each other,” she said.
“We’ve stuck together, always spoke openly with each other and been there for each other because that’s all we can do.
“We’ve got a good community in Shirebrook, friends of the family have been an amazing support and mum’s got some fantastic friends who have ran around and helped her.
“Without them, I don’t know what we’d have done.”
Mrs Marsh and her sister Kelly Kirby, 33, were both called to the scene immediately after the incident occurred last year.
Mrs Kirby, the mother of the two children who were in the car, spoke about how the family are supporting the youngsters.
“At the beginning, they weren’t sleeping or anything, but they have been showing signs that they are feeling better about it all. “It’s been a long road to follow, and when we’re travelling in cars they can be very nervous about things.
“They often talk about what happened on the day. We’ve always said that if they want to talk about it they can.
“Sometimes they don’t want to talk about it in case it upsets us, but we’ve always encouraged them to talk.”
A number of motorists stopped at the scene to help.
The widow offered a “big thank you to everyone who helped” after she lost her husband so suddenly.
Paying tribute to her husband, Mrs Oscroft said: “He was fantastic. He was a very good husband and father, he was fun, loved life and was hardworking.
“He lived for his family, always worked hard for his family and had never been out of work so we could have the nice things.
“He would fetch his grandchildren from school, he would see them every day and we went to see them every day.
“He was just a complete family man.”
His eldest daughter Mrs Marsh noted how he always encouraged his family to “appreciate life”.
“He tried to make sure we had memories and never took time for granted. He always told us to enjoy every second because it goes so fast and you don’t know what’s around the corner,” she added.
“He just appreciated life, he loved us and his family, his parents, and his grandchildren were the centre of his life.
“I know people would say he’s the best, but he really was, our dad.
“There are never enough words to tell anyone how special he was to us all.”
The family want answers from the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) after the coroner launched a Preventing Future Deaths report.
In his closing remarks, assistant coroner for Nottinghamshire Mr Gordon Clow called on the agency to outline further details about regulations for lorries carrying heavy loads.
When contacted by the Post, the agency pointed to Government regulations already in place and stressed that it planned to review its own guidelines alongside the Health and Safety Executive later this year.
A spokesperson for the DVSA confirmed to the Post that the first meeting for this review had taken place last week.
Mr Clow also called on Paul Wainwright Construction Services to supply evidence that actions were being taken to prevent more concrete falling from its lorries.
These should include improved driver training and working practices surrounding the loading of vehicles.
The Post has approached the company for comment on several occasions.
However, nobody has been available to speak at its Wigwam Lane site in Hucknall, and its phone line appears to be disconnected.
Mr Oscroft’s family pledged they would continue fighting until greater, “clearer” legislation was in place governing drivers and companies who carried heavy loads.