Dundee-based mechanic crushed to death under lorry

An experienced mechanic suffered a fatal accident

Dundee-based mechanic crushed to death under lorry
Image: Bigstock.

After a fatal accident inquiry into the death of experienced mechanic, a sheriff provides a ruling.

A sheriff has ruled that a, Dundee-based mechanic was crushed to death under a lorry as he carried out a repair at Orchardbank, near Forfar in 2019.

Glenrothes resident Gary Campbell, 29, a skilled former army mechanic, was killed while working on an oil tanker.

A fatal accident inquiry took place at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court before Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane.

The sheriff heard how Mr Campbell had been beneath a Scania lorry to fix a burst airbag in an axle suspension unit.

Mr Campbell had inflated the remaining suspension units to create space beneath the vehicle and was working between the tyre and axle wing when another of the bags burst and he was crushed.

Sheriff McFarlane concluded that Mr. Campbell’s failure to take the appropriate safety precautions contributed to his death and offered her condolences to his family.

Fatal accident

The inquiry heard Mr Campbell, a workshop foreman, had just come on shift at the Scania sales and servicing centre at Wester Gourdie Industrial Estate, Dundee when he volunteered to travel to Forfar to examine the stricken lorry.

He had only held the position for 11 days, having previously worked for Scania at Nottingham.

He had been a mechanic for more than 11 years – formerly with the British Army – and several people spoke to the inquiry of his competence.

On arriving at Oilfast – an oil delivery firm – at Orchardbank, he Whatsapped a message back to the headquarters that he had identified the fault and got to work.

Michael Millar, area director with Oilfast, reported hearing a “loud bang” from outside his office and called the emergency services when he saw Mr Campbell, trapped.

Site workers made frantic efforts to save him, even jacking up the lorry, but this attempt was shelved after a witness, a former army paramedic, warned that it might worsen the situation.

Emergency personnel arrived and Mr Campbell was declared deceased 30 minutes after the accident.

Source: The Courier

1 Comment

  1. Terrible situation. I’ve had some ‘near-do’s ‘ in my time… accidents so easily can happen even if precautionary measures are taken. Feel for his family…and him 😔

    Reply

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