VICTIM.. Glen Patrick (Archie) Campbell
AN inquest has heard that a Fivemiletown father of two was killed last July after he lost control of an articulated livestock lorry, carrying 250 pigs.
Glen Patrick (Archie) Campbell of Tudor Park tragically lost his life when the lorry overturned into a field at Mayogall Road, near the village of Gulladuff, county Derry around 6.30am on the morning of July 11 last year. He was the son of the well known bar manager of the local Valley Hotel, Tom Campbell.
The late Mr Campbell, who was a keen supporter of Clogher Valley Rugby Club, and his wife Denise had moved into the area from Brookeborough.
No other vehicles were involved and senior coroner John Leckey said Mr Campbell would have died immediately from head injuries when the cab of the lorry smashed into a tree.
Mr Leckey concluded that a number of factors came together to cause the fatal crash, adding that the absence of one of these might have prevented the accident.
The factors were: the speed the lorry was travelling, the topography of the road, the height and weight of the load and the ‘possible’ movement of the pigs.
The inquest was told the deceased was an experienced livestock driver.
Damian Coll of the Road Traffic Collision Investigation Team told the inquest that the lorry, which had three layers of livestock in the trailer, had just passed a right hand bend and went out of control as it was going around a left hand bend which went into a dip.
The trailer rolled onto its right side pulling the lorry with the cab onto its side.
He said, “It continued forward and the cab made forcible contact with a mature tree. The lorry finished partially in a hedge and partially in a field.”
He also stated that the brakes may have been applied during the accident which could have increased the movement of the pigs in the trailer.
Mr Coll was unable to give the speed the lorry was travelling at when it reached the corner but by analysing the tyre marks and the resting position of the vehicle, he suggested it was moving at 32mph.
Mr Coll added, “The weaving of the trailer makes it almost impossible to control. Everything is against you. It was a severe impact and there was a lot of energy behind the lorry, even if it was travelling at a very low speed.”
He emphasised that “the crash could not be attributed to excessive speed, rather a number of factors that all came together at that time.”
Seventy of the pigs were killed.
Offering his sympathy to the family of Mr Campbell, the coroner Mr Leckey said, “What happened was due to the combination of a number of factors and if one of these factors had not been in existence the chances are we wouldn’t be here today.”
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