Michael Shuttleworth · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 08/01/2021 I commenced an investigation into the death of Michael Shuttleworth, born 20/02/1936, died 01/01/2021.

The investigation concluded at the end of the Inquest on 19/07/2022.

Mr Shuttleworth’s medically certified cause of death was 1a) Head and chest injuries complicated by Covid-19 Associated Bronchopneumonia; 1b) Road Traffic Collision (Pedestrian); 2) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Frailty of Old Age.

The conclusion of the Inquest was that Mr Shuttleworth’s death was due to a road traffic collision.

Mr Shuttleworth sustained his ultimately fatal head and chest injuries at about 1655h on 05/11/2020 when, as he was crossing Bridge Street in Huddersfield, he was struck and knocked over by a Mercedes Vario Box Van, registration number ████████ with the number ████████ painted on its bonnet, which was turning right into Bridge Street from Lockwood Road.

The van was owned by UPS and was being driven by UPS’s employee ████████ in the course of his employment with UPS as a delivery driver.

Two matters of fact were found to have caused the collision: first, Mr Shuttleworth stepped into the road at a pedestrian crossing which was showing a red light against him; second, ████████ did not see Mr Shuttleworth before striking him and knocking him over.

Pursuant to ss. 5(3) and 10(2) of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, I did not express an opinion or record a conclusion as to the respective proportions in which the causative facts contributed to the accident and to Mr Shuttleworth’s death.

(1) ████████ who was suspended by UPS the day after the collision and dismissed by them shortly thereafter, gave evidence that his view from the van when making right turns such as this one was obscured by a large blind spot.

(2) An independent Forensic Collision Investigator ("FCI") gave evidence that, when sitting in the driver’s seat at the position ████████ had adjusted to, there was a large blind spot to the driver’s offside, which may have masked the presence of Mr Shuttleworth at certain points of the right turn manoeuvre.

(3) The FCI gave evidence that this blind spot area was due to the driver’s offside “A” post and rear-view door mirror assembly and was further affected by the driver’s sliding door frame which enclosed increased the blind spot area. (The FCI said anecdotally, and not as part of his evidence, that he understood that this particular configuration of the Mercedes Vario Box Van was unique to vans supplied by Mercedes to UPS.)

4) The FCI gave evidence that, using ████████ van, he was able to reconstruct at the scene a scenario whereby a pedestrian crossing Bridge Street as Mr Shuttleworth was completely masked by the van’s mirror assembly, “A” post and door frame.

5) ████████ gave evidence that the van was equipped with a rear facing camera to aid reversing, but no front or rear facing audible impact sensor alarms.

6) ████████ gave evidence that UPS drivers were subject to an annual appraisal that involved being accompanied by an assessor who would complete a 60 item tick box form, but that drivers were neither told if they had any part of that assessment or offered any refresher training following such an appraisal.