Woman who died at farm had severe head injuries

Lorraine Walker, 63, died after being struck by the overhang of a farm sprayer while out walking her dog

A woman died after she was struck on the head by farm machinery, before falling and being run over by a tractor, a coroner has found.

Lorraine Walker, 63, was walking her dog near Marshall Bros Farm, on Newton Lane in Sprotbrough, Doncaster, on 5 November 2020, when part of a sprayer attached to a reversing tractor hit her and caused a skull fracture.

The driver of the tractor, who did not see her, then continued to reverse over her, Doncaster Coroner's Court heard.

Recording a narrative verdict on Friday, Assistant Coroner Abigail Combs concluded Mrs Walker died from "unsurvivable head injuries".

Ms Combs acknowledged that farmer Liam Marshall, who was reversing the tractor and sprayer trailer out of the yard and around a corner, would have had "poor visibility" and would only have been able to see Mrs Walker at a "very specific time" in his mirrors and rear window.

The noise from the tractor was also a factor in Mr Marshall not hearing Mrs Walker if she had called out and the weight and size of the vehicle meant he would not have been able to feel anything he had run over, she said.

Though there was a police investigation at the time of the incident, the matter was dropped and Mr Marshall was not charged with any wrongdoing.

Ms Combs said the farmer had suffered from trauma since the incident, and he told the inquest previously he could "never have imagined" what took place that day.

Even though Mrs Walker had hypertension, asthma and high cholesterol - issues that "may have caused a medical episode" - Ms Combs said it would have been a "catastrophic coincidence" if Mrs Walker had suffered a heart attack immediately before being run over.

The inquest also heard that Mrs Walker, a retired probation officer, was seen on CCTV on Newton Lane just before she died but there was a period of about 45 seconds that she was out of sight so it was "impossible to say for certain what happened".

However after hearing statements and evidence from pathologists, a forensic crash investigator and eye-witnesses, Ms Combs said it was "more likely than not" Mrs Walker was upright when the sprayer hit her.

The incident took place on Newton Lane in Sprotbrough, Doncaster

Her injuries were more consistent with being struck with force rather than crushed and the heart issues she suffered from were commonplace and non-deadly.

She also had no history of collapsing and her GP said there was no cause for concern prior to her sudden death.

Ms Combs told the court: "I find, as a matter of fact, that on 5 November Lorraine Walker took her dog for a walk when a farm vehicle struck her - her head injuries were fatal and she died at the scene of the collision.

"She died from multiple head injuries which were unsurvivable and a road traffic collision."

Mrs Walker's family said they were "relieved" at the verdict.

They said: "We are really pleased with the outcome that has been proven in court today that Lorraine was killed and did not die from a medical episode.

"It has been a long five years to get here.

"Not everyone has the determination or resources to get justice and would be forced to accept a false narrative about what happened."

They added: "Nobody was looking for anyone to go to prison, we just wanted the truth to be told."

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: "There was an investigation by ourselves and the Health and Safety Executive but no charges came as a result from either.

"One person was arrested but later released with no further action taken."

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