Walker died after he was run over at a North Yorkshire farm

Bruce Norman was pronounced dead at Gillingwood Hall farm, near Gilling West in Richmondshire, on the morning of Sunday, October 28 in 2018.

The 71-year-old was run over by a Manitou telehandler – a vehicle used to transport heavy loads – that was being reversed across the courtyard of the farm, while his friend Paul Tomkinson was asking the farm owner for directions.

A jury inquest, held in Harrogate yesterday, heard police officers and paramedics were called and they attempted to resuscitate the father-of-two for more than 30 minutes, but he was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision at 9.30am.

A post-mortem examination found the retired managing director, who lived in Thornton-le-Beans, had died after suffering extensive pelvic injuries which resulted in severe blood loss.

Farm worker Richard Cookson, who was driving the vehicle, was interviewed by North Yorkshire Police under caution following the collision and breathalysed, but no alcohol was found in his system.

During the interview, the driver told police he saw Mr Tomkinson behind the vehicle before he reversed, but Mr Norman was in a blindspot.

He added: “It's just been an accident. I have not seen him in the blindspot. I didn’t hear – there was no yelling or anything like that – to say he was behind me.”

Collision investigator Steve Kirkbright told the inquest the vehicle had three mirrors but there was a “significant blind spot” behind it – on the driver’s side – and no reversing alarm.

In his report, he concluded there would have been “very little warning for Mr Norman, even if he was looking directly at it”.

Mr Tomkinson, who had been friends with Mr Norman for more than 20 years, said they planned to do a 14-mile walk that morning and entered the farm via a public footpath.

He began speaking to farm owner Paul Metcalfe in the courtyard, and asked for directions, while Mr Norman was “focused on” checking his GPS device behind the Manitou telehandler.

Mr Tomkinson said he did not realise something was wrong until he saw “the reaction on Mr Metcalfe’s face” and he then went over, with Mr Cookson, to help his injured friend.

He also said they both began to perform CPR and were in a “state of shock”, while Mr Metcalfe phoned 999.

Mr Metcalfe told the inquest he did not realise the Manitou telehandler was reversing before the collision, as he was talking to Mr Tomkinson and it is a “very quiet machine”.

The jury has retired to reach a verdict.