Man crushed to death

From the Guardian Series, first published Wednesday 25th May 2005.

A WAREHOUSE worker was crushed to death between two forklift trucks - and the driver who hit him has disappeared.

Stephen Linforth was caught between the forks of an oncoming six-tonne truck and the load of his own truck, an inquest heard.

He had got out of his cab just before the accident. He was a new employee and may have been checking his load was correct, the court heard.

Mr Linforth, who was separated from his wife Linda and lived with his partner Catherine Hughes, died from multiple injuries.

The 45-year-old, of Boston Avenue in Runcorn, was killed at Exel in Mathieson Road, Widnes, last February.

The driver who hit him has disappeared and police believe he may have left the country.

Henry Brown may have returned to his native Jamaica after leaving his lodgings in Widnes.

But in a statement given to the company before he disappeared, Mr Brown had said he never looked down the warehouse aisle as he drove down it.

"He never saw Mr Linforth's truck despite the fact that it was a huge vehicle and he never saw Mr Linforth despite the fact that he was wearing a high visibility jacket," said coroner Nicholas Rheinberg.

A jury of four women and five men took 40 minutes to return a verdict of accidental death at Macclesfield Town Hall on Monday.

The court heard that Mr Brown was not wanted for a criminal offence in relation to the incident, and that he was a slow worker and also a new employee.

Mr Rheinberg said: "Perhaps that is the tragedy of it. Mr Brown was so busy not wanting to make a mistake that he didn't look where he was going."

Exel has made improvements to the warehouse lighting and pedestrian areas since the accident.

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