Teen crushed by forklift truck on Shipdham farm, inquest hears

Zach Richardson, 18, from Lincolnshire, died at Elm Farm, near Shipdham, Norfolk, on 24 October 2020.

Family handout/PA Wire Zach Richardson — Zach Richardson, 18, from Lincolnshire, died at Elm Farm, near Shipdham, Norfolk, on 24 October 2020.

A teenager was crushed to death by a forklift truck while working at a farm less than a month after starting his new job, an inquest heard.

Zach Richardson, 18, from Lincolnshire, became trapped between the truck and a wall at Elm Farm, near Shipdham, Norfolk, on 24 October 2020.

The hearing in Norwich was told his medical cause of death was "due to compression asphyxia".

His father described the teenager as a "lovely boy" with a "heart of gold".

During the first day of the inquest at Norfolk Coroner's Court, it was heard Mr Richardson, of Hubberts Bridge near Boston, had started working for Lincolnshire Firewood Company as a yardman on 6 October.

Senior coroner Jacqueline Lake said he had completed two days of formal forklift training when the incident happened.

She said his employer had left the site to pick up a car and on his return, just before 17:15 BST, found Mr Richardson "trapped between a forklift truck and a wall".

Mr Richardson was declared dead at the scene after emergency services were called, the inquest heard.

'Most talented'

Scott Ekins, who trained Mr Richardson to use forklifts a week earlier, said he "seemed very level-headed", "asked a lot of questions" and "took notes".

Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC, for Mr Richardson's family, said the forklift truck was fitted with a seat sensor which should have stopped it from moving when nobody was in the driver's seat.

She put it to Mr Ekins that the "sensor wasn't working", to which he replied: "But he might not have known there was a sensor on there."

Mr Richardson's father, Kevin, who was at the hearing, said outside court: "I've trained up all my six sons and Zach was the most talented.

"He was all set to make something great of his life... family was everything to him and we feel like we failed him by encouraging him to take the job that killed him."

A civil claim is being investigated on behalf of Mr Richardson's family.

The inquest continues.