Dumper crash — ‘man was qualified to drive’

A FATHER-OF-TWO died four months after the dumper truck he was driving overturned in Lees.

Alphonsus Healey (62), known as Frank, was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital with head injuries following the accident in Athens Way on August 1, 2006.

He underwent brain surgery at Hope Hospital, Salford, before being transferred back to Oldham where he died of pneumonia on December 23.

An inquest jury heard yesterday that Mr Healey, of Evesham Walk, Middleton, was working for Warrington company Core Utility Solutions when the accident happened.

He was in charge of a team excavating the pavement for services to houses being built near by.

Colleague Craig Morton from Swinton, South Yorkshire, told the inquest that he was the dumper truck driver for the job.

Mr Morton had reversed up and down an embankment about 15 to 20 times without any problems before the workmen stopped for lunch because of heavy rain.

He parked the dumper on the embankment, leaving the keys in the ignition. He did not know Mr Healey was going to use the vehicle but had seen him drive one before and assumed he was qualified.

The accident was witnessed by JCB driver James Heffernan, of Brighouse, who had come over from the main site to help out.

He saw Mr Healey put the truck in what sounded like the wrong gear.

About a minute later it tipped over and he said: “He was on an incline, he was facing the wrong way on it. When it started to go it just threw him into the road.”

Mr Heffernan described how Mr Healey tried to climb over the vehicle as it fell and added: “As the dumper tipped further over it appeared to take Mr Healey with it.”

He said the dumper was not overloaded but he did not know if Mr Healey was wearing the seatbelt.

Mr Healey was originally from the Republic of Ireland and lived with his partner Kathleen.

His son, David, believed that he was qualified to drive a dumper truck.

The inquest continues.