Skip to content

Karl Mitchell: Taunton dad died after lorry crush, inquest told

Family handout Karl MitchellFamily handout
Karl Mitchell suffered chest and brain injuries and died in hospital

A father-of-two died after being crushed by machinery during a delivery to a school, an inquest has heard.

Karl Mitchell, 50, from Taunton, was delivering a shipping container to a construction site at Shirehampton Primary School, in Bristol, for Titan Containers on 17 September 2021.

Whilst operating the crane attached to the lorry he was crushed by a stabiliser leg, the inquest was told.

He was taken to Southmead Hospital but died on 25 September.

Mr Mitchell's parents, Michael and Sue, wife Tessa, children Joshua and Jessica, and father-in-law David Free
Mr Mitchell's parents, Michael and Sue, wife Tessa, children Joshua and Jessica, and father-in-law David Free are attending the inquest

The jury inquest at Avon Coroner's Court is expected to last for two weeks.

Mr Mitchell was a class one HGV driver for Titan Containers, and his job involved driving a lorry with a crane attached to it, the jury heard.

He was described by his family as "a hard-working man who loved cooking food and going on holiday".

He was born in Hove, Sussex, and married his wife Tessa in 1998, whom he had met in college, aged 18.

The couple had been together for more than 31 years and have two children, Jessica, 24, and Joshua, 21.

Family handout Karl and his wife TessaFamily handout
Mr Mitchell's wife Tessa said he was her "soulmate"

In a statement to the jury, Ms Mitchell described her husband as her "soulmate" and that he had spoken to her about intermittent problems with the lorry's legs.

"Karl had the right to feel confident that his safety was important to his employer but he didn't and he told us so in the last few months before his death," she said.

"He was failed in this respect and by extension we have been failed as well.

"Trying to describe the depth of turmoil from losing Karl to this avoidable situation is indescribable," she added.

Lorry stabiliser leg
Mr Mitchell suffered crush injuries from a stabiliser leg while delivering a container

Titan Containers is due to give evidence to the inquest later in the week.

In a statement, the company said: "Titan Containers have fully supported the investigations carried out by the HSE and other authorities.

"We will continue to cooperate with the court throughout the hearing, however, we are unable to comment further due to the ongoing nature of the inquest."

The inquest continues.

Presentational grey line

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]