Farm worker died after being crushed by tractor

A 26-year-old farm worker died after he was crushed between a tractor and a barn, an inquest has heard.

Daniel David Sowerby was found on the side of the road by Newlands Farm in Wigton, Cumbria, with significant injuries on the morning of 11 September 2024.

Despite emergency services attending the scene, he went into traumatic cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated.

During the first day of his inquest at Workington Coroners Court on Monday, coroner Robert Cohen heard the model of tractor Sowerby was driving, a Case Maxxum, had since been recalled due to an issue with the handbrake.

A post-mortem examination found he had suffered several crush injuries, including to his torso, lacerations to one of his lungs, liver, spine and femur.

The pathologist determined he had died of chest injuries.

Sowerby, who grew up at Bassenthwaite, had been working for Alan Gill and his family at Newlands Farm as a self-employed farm worker since about 2019.

In a statement read to the court, Gill described him as a friend and someone he could trust on the farm.

"He was one of the best workers I've ever had," he said.

In a pen portrait read to the court, his sister Jordan said farming was where her brother's "heart was".

"Life hasn't been the same since Dan died, his loss affected everyone he knew."

The inquest heard Sowerby had been due to spread manure that day and had driven the tractor with a trailer to a barn to load it.

Forensic evidence from Cumbria Police said he was believed to have gotten off the tractor. The vehicle then started moving, hitting the barn wall and crushing him.

PC Andrew Turnbull, a forensic investigation officer, said the tractor was found in a beck about 2,165ft (660m) from where Sowerby was found.

It had rolled down the hill, across three fields, damaging two hedgerows and crossing one minor road, the inquest heard.

PC Shaun McKeown, a forensic vehicle examiner, said when he analysed the park brake, which operated as a ratchet and pawl mechanism, it was not engaging.

"The park brake was dropping to the ground, it was not holding on at all," he said.

He added the arm was "substantially worn".

The inquest heard the tractor was quite new and was being serviced regularly.

McKeown said he believed the brakes had been applied before Sowerby got out of the tractor.

The coroner asked if he believed the park brake had failed and he said he did.

The coroner heard evidence from Filippo Fassino, who is in charge of quality support at CNH, the company that manufactures the Case Maxxum tractor.

Fassino told the hearing CNH had launched a recall campaign, which was still ongoing, since the death.

An internal investigation found a batch of ratchet and pawl mechanisms did not conform to specifications.

The issue was with the parts being 30 to 70% "softer" than expected.

The inquest heard CNH had commissioned a separate company called Cofle to supply these.

Massimo Mandelli, who is responsible for quality at Cofle, said their investigation found the problem was with a process used to harden the parts that make up the brake.

This was done by another firm, which was found to be "bulk-loading" components during the heating process, meaning it affected their hardness.

Mandelli explained: "If you put a lot of components in the furnace, the heat inside doesn't reach the components with the same range, so some are hard enough and some don't reach the required hardness."

Cofle was now working with a different company to carry out this process, the inquest was told.

Mandelli said due to an internal miscommunication, CNH had not been notified of this issue straight away.

The inquest continues.

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