Driver 'couldn't see' dad-of-three before he was crushed to death by 18-ton truck

A lorry driver has told an inquest he could not see a colleague who was helping him to reverse an 18-ton truck into a depot moments before he suffered fatal crush injuries.

Sim Biri-Biri Plis was at the wheel of the refrigerated Mercedes truck when he was reversing it into a yard in Manchester city centre on February 19, 2019. His colleague Lee Warburton, also a wagon driver, was acting as a 'banksman' helping the driver manoeuvre the truck into a delivery bay at City Towers on New York Street.

Mr Warburton, 53, a father of three from Stockport, suffered serious crush injuries. He was taken to hospital but died later. Yesterday an inquest heard evidence from his colleague and the driver of the wagon that morning, Mr Biri-Biri Plis, who admitted he had continued to reverse even though he could not see his friend.

A jury at the inquest in Manchester heard both men were employed by food and drink suppliers, Bestway Northern Ltd and were working together when they made a delivery to City Towers. Mr Biri-Biri Plis was the driver and Mr Westwood was the passenger that day although the men, both qualified drivers, had reversed their their roles on previous deliveries, the inquest was told.

The jurors were shown a five-minute compilation of CCTV, from one camera on New York Street, one on the rear of the truck and another from inside the loading bay, showing the moment Mr Warburton was pinned against a side pillar of the loading bay before collapsing to the floor. He was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary but died later. He had three children, Tom, Katie and Amy.

The inquest was told Mr Biri-Biri Plis passed an 'impairment test' to confirm he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time. During the course of