A devastated father has spoken out after his son, a lorry driver, was killed in a tragic accident when he was crushed by his own cargo. Tom Willis, 29, was delivering two tractors to a yard in Flintshire, North Wales, when the incident occurred.
The ex-soldier, described as a seasoned HGV driver, had driven 250 miles from Tiverton, Devon, to complete the delivery. CCTV footage showed Mr Willis removing chain ratchet load binders in preparation for unloading before entering the site. Moments later, one of the tractors rolled off the back of his lorry, trapping him underneath as he cried out, 'Woah, woah, woah.'
A post-mortem examination determined that Mr Willis died quickly from crush asphyxia. At an inquest in Ruthin, a jury delivered a narrative conclusion stating that a 'combination of factors' led to the tractor rolling off backwards, causing severe crush injuries.
Speaking after the hearing, his father Paul Willis described the tragedy as a 'genuine mistake' and said his son was simply in the 'wrong place, wrong time.' He added that Tom, who started his driving career in the Army, had described his job with David Mouland Haulage as the 'job of his dreams.'
Mr Willis senior said there would never be closure for the family, but hoped they could now move on. 'He was so positive and always wanted to improve himself,' he added.
