Worker pinned to lorry ramp by truck in Carlisle, inquest hears

The inquest is being held at Cumbria House

A man died when a forklift truck trapped him against a HGV loading ramp, an inquest has heard.

Brian Tuddenham, 57, died after his forklift truck rolled free at International Rubber and Tyre Recycling Ltd, in Carlisle, in 2021.

He was attaching the ramp to the back of the lorry, which was being driven by Ian Christian.

Mr Christian told the inquest at Cumbria House how he continued to have "horrible" nightmares about it.

He told the hearing he had reversed his HGV lorry for Mr Tuddenham to then fix the ramp so it could be loaded with rubber in February 2021.

Mr Christian, who worked for a different firm, said he looked in his mirror and saw his colleague "up against the ramp".

"I got down and I could see the forks against the ramp and it was not until I got halfway down my trailer that I realised the forks were up against Brian," he said.

Footage of what happened was shown to a jury on the first day of an inquest into Mr Tuddenham's death.

Mr Christian said he "jumped on the forklift to get it away from him".

"I went back to him and he just started to fall... I was screaming," he said.

Asked by Cumbria's assistant coroner, Craig Smith, how he was, Mr Christian replied: "Awful, I keep having dreams.

"But it is not Brian. It's my wife, or my lad or my daughter. It's horrible," he added.

Earlier Mr Tuddenham's wife Lisa described him as her "best friend, a loving and caring husband and a fabulous dad" to their three sons.

"Our world was torn apart, we miss him so much and I will love him forever," she added.

The inquest, which is due to last for seven days, continues.