A 56-year-old lorry driver was electrocuted after his vehicle came into contact with an overhead power line, an inquest has heard. Andy Lloyd, who ran a family business, was delivering a load of hardcore to a farm with his 14-year-old son when the grab arm on his truck touched the 11,000-volt cables.
The incident occurred on 1 May at Tan y Dderwen Farm in Betws-yn-Rhos, Conwy. Lloyd, from Bod Elian, Llanelian in Conwy, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was due to get married less than a month later.
Ruthin Coroner's Court heard that Lloyd's son, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had joined his father that day to gain work experience. In a statement read by senior coroner John Gittins, the teenager described how his father had moved the lorry closer to where contractors were erecting a shed to tip the load when the grab arm hit the power line.
The court was told that the teenager tried to warn his father, but Lloyd had already exited the cab. Contractors who witnessed the incident described seeing flames coming from the rear tyres of the lorry and Lloyd's boots before he collapsed. One of the men noticed the teenager in the lorry and helped him exit safely. Another performed CPR on Lloyd while a third called for an ambulance.
Devon Locke, a Scottish Power engineer, had been sent to the area after the supply was tripped. Upon seeing the emergency vehicles at the farm, he learned what had happened and saw that the lorry was still in contact with the cables above the field. Although the power had been tripped, plans were made to make the line safe.
The coroner concluded that Lloyd died as a result of an accident and offered his condolences to the family. In her statement, Lloyd's partner, Hayley Lloyd, said his "last moments were spent in his truck with his son beside him" and that he "cared quietly but fiercely for those around him."
The tragedy has shocked the local community, and the inquest has highlighted the dangers of working near overhead power lines. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.
