Farmer crushed against gate by his own dog in bizarre forklift accident

Jack Russell believed to have activated lever that sent vehicle forward, killing the 70-year-old

A FARMER was killed by his dog after it pushed a lever inside his forklift truck and crushed him against a gate, an inquest has heard.

Derek Mead, 70, was working on a rockery at his home near Weston-super-mare, Somerset, in June last year, when he stopped his forklift truck at the entrance to a field on his land. It is believed he got out of the vehicle to open a gate.

Avon Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Mead left the engine running in neutral and did not apply the handbrake as the land was flat. His dog inside the cab may have moved a shuttle lever, which sent the vehicle forward.

Mr Mead’s son Alistair spotted the truck while driving his family along a nearby lane. “We stopped and I could see dad’s legs at the front of the machine,” he said. “I could see he was trapped. He was crouched down, facing the machine as if he had turned to see the machine coming towards him and ducked, trying to avoid it.”

He said his father was still being pushed against the gate and was unresponsive. “Inside the cab was my dad’s dog, a Jack Russell.” He raised the alarm and gave his father first aid while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

Simon Chilcott, principal investigator for the Health and Safety Executive, said: “We think the most reasonable explanation is that within the cab of the vehicle there was a small dog. Whether the dog had been jumping up to see where its master had gone, or put its paws up on the door to await his return, it seems most likely that it hit the lever. The dog jumped up or put its paws up and knocked the shuttle lever, which would have put the vehicle in a forward motion.” Mr Chilcott told the inquest there were no other “reasonable explanations”. Mr Mead suffered spinal fractures and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Chilcott added that the gate Mr Mead was crushed against had been padlocked on one side with a substantial chain on a solid post.

He said the vehicle would have been stationary if the lever had remained in neutral as the land there was flat.

Dr Peter Harrowing, the assistant coroner for Avon, reached a conclusion of accidental death at the hearing in Bristol yesterday.

“I’m satisfied the death of Derek Mead was one of a very tragic accident,” he said.

In a statement read out to the court, Mr Mead’s son said he had worked on 1,600 acres of land with his father and that on the day of his death Mr Mead had been building a rockery by a pond.

A statement from Mr Mead’s family read: “While we grieve for the loss, we celebrate everything that he achieved and focus on continuing his legacy.”