Thame building site death: Man killed 'instantly' by reversing lorry

An eyewitness said he saw the lorry "drive completely over Stephen"

A ground worker was killed "instantly" when he was run over by a reversing lorry on a construction site, an inquest has heard.

Stephen Buck died at a building site in Oxford Road, Thame, in April 2017.

A jury at Oxford Coroner's Court heard he suffered "devastating" injuries to his head, chest, abdomen and pelvis.

Pathologist Dr Nicholas Hunt said there was "absolutely nothing anyone could have done to save his life once he was injured in this way".

Kay Buck gave evidence that her husband, who was born in Oxford and lived in Neath in Wales, had worked in the building trade for 40 years, and "loved his job".

'Hanging on'

CCTV from the rear of a tipper truck, which showed 58-year-old Mr Buck in a high-vis jacket with his back to the lorry as it approached him, was played to the jury, though the moment of impact was not shown.

His body was identified by his colleague Nick O'Brien, who told the inquest he thought Mr Buck had been walking to the lorry driver's cab to check him in.

Mr O'Brien told the court he had turned his digger around and "was shocked to see Stephen was under the back of the reversing lorry" and was hanging on in an attempt to not be pulled underneath.

He said Mr Buck lost his grip and he saw the lorry "drive completely over Stephen".

The housing site was owned by Bloor Homes and Mr Buck was a subcontractor working for ECL Construction, the inquest heard.

Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter told the jury the hearing is expected to last three days.