Farmer was crushed by quad bike

1:21pm Wednesday 27th February 2008

A RETIRED farmer was killed after being crushed by his quad bike when it hit a boulder, throwing him into the air and coming down on top of him.

An inquest heard how a "sudden medical event" caused Colin Jared Furness to deviate from a safe path while crossing his own land at Cockerdale Farm, in Oldstead, near Helmsley.

The 68-year-old was an experienced quad biker, who had lived in the village for 23 years before the incident on October 20 last year.

Coroner John Broadbridge recorded a verdict of accidental death after listening to evidence from acting traffic sergeant Tim Alderson and consultant pathologist Dr Mohammad Musa. He said: "I'm satisfied on the balance of probabilities that he has died as a result of an accident due to loss of control of his quad vehicle due to a medical event.

"It was a sudden medical event, probably a cardiac arrest or arrhythmia, that was the reason for him to depart from the safe and natural route that he would normally I'm sure have taken."

Colin, who would have celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife, Margaret this year, had set off on his quad bike at about 3pm.

In a written statement to the court, Margaret, 71, said she had started to become concerned at around 5.15pm when he failed to turn up for his usual cup of tea. By 5.45pm she started to search the area in her vehicle and also called on her neighbour, John Metcalfe, to help. Mr Metcalfe found the body of Mr Furness in a field about three hours later.

Acting Traffic Sergeant Tim Alderson said he believed the quad bike was going up and across a steep field when the incident occurred. He said: "The nearside wheels slipped off the exposed boulders causing the angle of the quad bike to alter sharply. It rolled completely over and Mr Furness was thrown towards his left and then harshly back towards the slope. The machine came to rest on top of him."