Boy killed by father's tractor 'most tragic death' dealt with by coroner

A six-year-old boy was killed when he was hit by a tractor driven by his father, an inquest heard yesterday.

Coroner John Owen said the case was "the most tragic death it has been my misfortune to have to investigate".

Dafydd Wyn Bowen ran behind the tractor while his father, Gareth Bowen, a farmer, was checking the water supply, the hearing in Llandeilo was told.

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His mother, Meryl, a teacher, was taking Dafydd and his brothers Hywel, four, and three-year-old Rhydian for a walk on Pengolian Farm in Bethlehem, Carmarthenshire, West Wales, on December 23 last year when he ran ahead, out of sight.

Neither parent knew he was behind the tractor.

Mrs Bowen told the ambulance crew that the next thing she heard was the beeping sound of the tractor reversing and a thud, coroner's officer Tudor Rees told the court. Mrs Bowen ran across the farmyard, which was covered in ice and extremely slippery, to where her son was unconscious and not breathing. He was pronounced dead in hospital.

A health and safety inspector examined the tractor after the incident and the vehicle was found to be in good order.

The cause of death was a severe head injury. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.