A MAN died after being hit by part of a 16 tonne excavator being operated by his friend, an inquest heard.

Craig Allen Phillips, 48, from Bury suffered ‘catastrophic injuries’, while helping his friend William Brewer at his home in Bury Road, Rawtenstall in March.

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The inquest heard the pair had met banger racing and Mr Phillips had been at his friend’s’ home to deliver a milling machine he had collected from Bristol.

East Lancashire Coroner Richard Taylor was told Mr Brewer had been using a Liebherr extractor, a piece of lifting equipment, in part of his garden, when the accident happened.

The pair had been trying to lift the milling machine off a flatbed truck.

Mr Brewer, the only witness, did not see Mr Phillips sustain his injuries, and could not say how he died, but accident investigators said the most likely explanation was that he been struck by part of a 16 tonne excavator, causing multiple injuries.

Giving evidence at the inquest Mr Brewer said: “My exact words were ‘You back down when you’re ready.’”

Mr Brewer said that before he drove down the incline, which involved him steering around a stationary JCB, he looked round and saw Mr Phillips standing up on the bed of his truck.

He then turned the cab in a clockwise direction and started to reverse, but said he felt no impact or anything else unusual that would indicate that he had hit his friend while driving.

He then glanced to the right and saw Mr Phillips on the ground, but thought nothing of it, assuming he was tinkering with his truck.

But when his friend did not get up he realised something was not right.

Accident investigator PC Richard Roberts said that the Liebherr extractor was missing wing mirrors and was not in a roadworthy condition, but as it was being driven on private land, it did not need to meet usual vehicle standards.

PC Roberts said there was “very limited” physical evidence at the scene.He said: “It’s clear that Mr Phillips must have got down off the flatbed and for some reason positioned himself in a restricted space with a large vehicle moving nearby.”

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Coroner Richard Taylor said: “Mr Phillips and Mr Brewer were going about their business. “I have little doubt that this was simply a very tragic accident.”