Argos delivery driver's death in Oswestry was a 'unique' accident

William Ernest Barker, 68, died on May 27 last year at the Smithfield Street car park, after the barrier came loose from where it was secured and entered his cab.

The jury at his inquest yesterday recorded a conclusion of accidental death caused by a number of factors.

They recorded that Mr Barker, who was delivering goods to the town's Argos store at the time of the accident, died of crush injuries and traumatic asphyxia due to the wing mirror of his vehicle coming into contact with the defective and ineffectively secured barrier at the car park.

Constable Ian Edwards, a collision investigator for West Mercia Police, said he had never seen an accident like this before.

His investigation revealed that the wing mirror of the lorry had caught the end of the barrier and pulled it towards the cab.

"The end of the barrier arm would have been obscured by the wing mirror. As he caught it that had pivoted it into the cab," he said.

"The vehicle continued forward as the driver would have been unaware until the window has been smashed. It's likely that the driver's door would have acted as a fulcrum and the barrier had moved forward and pushed his seat forward, trapping him."

Constable Edwards said the vehicle was travelling at no more than 3mph at the time of the collision, and said the barrier was identified in the risk assessment plan for the site prepared by Mr Barker's employees Wincanton.

"It's possible in the final seconds that Mr Barker did attempt to stop his own vehicle," he added. "We've heard he was conscious in the last second so I suspect he attempted to stop once he realised what was happening."

Mr Barker's widow has paid tribute to her husband's love of life and sense of humour.

The accident happened just months before the 68-year-old planned to retire.

Mary Barker, who is known by her middle name June, spoke of her husband's active life and his plans for the future.

"He was looking to retire at the end of July," she said.

"He was always an active person. He used to do a lot of running, he was a brown belt in jujitsu, he enjoyed playing squash and he loved to play golf whenever he could."

Mr Barker, known as Billy, was working for a greetings card business at the time and had previously served in the merchant navy. He later joined the Territorial Army as a driver.

His widow said he had enjoyed driving and was a safe driver.

She said: "He was a very good driver. He used to say you have to think about vehicles at least four ahead. He never had a collision and he was a thoughtful and careful driver. I always felt safe with him driving."

The couple met in 1970 and they married two years later. They had no children but Mr Barker had two sons, Phil and Chris, from a previous marriage, and a cousin, Dorothy, who owned a house in Wales.

Mrs Barker said that the weekend before the fatal accident, they had spent the bank holiday with Dorothy in Wales where they had enjoyed a restful holiday with barbecues and walks.

"He always enjoyed going to Wales. There was nothing playing in his mind, and he even fell asleep for part of the journey back home.

"He knew he had to work the following day, so he went to bed early that night. He got up about 2.30am. I would remain in bed asleep – he didn't wake me up when he left and I was expecting him home at 3pm.

"I was at home in the morning when the police arrived to tell me he had died while driving. I knew immediately it would not have been his fault.

"There are times I still feel he will find home. I don't know what I would have done without the support of my friends and family. He has left a hole in my life since he passed. We were always together and I will always miss him."

Mr Barker, who was from Rochdale, had delivered to the store in Oswestry on several occasions before the fatal accident.

A two-day inquest held at Shrewsbury Town FC heard that a number of factors had contributed to the accident.

It heard that the barrier had been damaged the week before the incident and as a result staff at Argos had been using a chain to hold it back to allow lorries to make deliveries.

Mr Barker was also having to manoeuvre around a lorry making a delivery to the next door store, and the member of Argos staff who usually stood by the gate as Mr Barker was leaving ready to close the barrier was not there on the day of the accident.

Mr Barker died when the barrier pushed his seat forward, crushing him into the steering wheel. Despite efforts by another delivery driver to free him, he died at the scene.

The Health and Safety Executive is investigating the accident.

Giving evidence, Lyn Mizen, HM inspector of health and safety, said she had never heard of a similar accident involving a high level barrier before.