Brampton building site worker James Rourke killed by excavator

James Rourke had graduated from university in the summer before he died

A worker was run over and killed by a reversing excavator on a construction site after its operator had not seen him, an inquest found.

James Rourke, 22, was working as a site engineer in Brampton, Cambridgeshire when he died in November 2019.

An inquest jury found no supervision was provided to Mr Rourke, the excavator had not been instructed to operate and no banksman was present.

CALA Homes and Mr Rourke's employer have both been contacted for comment.

Mr Rourke's family, who were "pleased" with the jury's conclusion, said he had graduated from the University of Birmingham with a masters degree in geology that summer.

"He left university on a Saturday and started his first and only full-time job on the following Monday," they said in a statement following the inquest.

"The next chapter of his life was just beginning."

'No supervision'

The coroner's court hearing, which concluded on Friday at Peterborough Town Hall, was told Mr Rourke was working as a probationary site engineer, employed by Materials Movement Limited, at the construction site at Badger Way near Brampton Park Golf Club.

He had "been instructed to set up warning signs in a work area where an excavator and its operator were situated," the jury said.

In their narrative conclusion, jurors said: "No supervision was provided. The planned area of work had not been segregated. The operator of the excavator had not seen James standing at the rear of the right-hand tracks before he reversed.

"At the time the excavator had been parked in an area of restricted movement. It had not been instructed to operate and no banksman was present."

The family statement added: "The impact on our family over the past two years has been overwhelming.

"Sadness, regret, loss, frustration, desperation - we have had all the emotions possible in these toughest of times, and our family and his friends will have to live with this for the rest of our lives."

They added they hoped "lessons will be learnt from this inquest by the principal contractor, CALA Homes, and James's employer, Materials Movement Ltd, to prevent any other family having to suffer in the way we are".

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