A man was killed in a ‘tragic accident’ after his wife accidentally ran over him in a car park, an inquest heard.
David Chivers and his wife Elaine Valentine had travelled to Worksop, Nottinghamshire, to set up for an event they were organising on September 12 last year.
Nottingham Coroner’s Court heard Mr Chivers got out of the car to remove a height barrier in the car park so they could drive through to the recreation ground.
But as he reached for the padlock while he stood next to driver’s side open car door, the automatic Vauxhall Insignia unexpectedly reversed.
The inquest was told 72-year-old Mr Chivers was knocked to the ground and was subsequently run over when Ms Valentine accidentally pressed the accelerator.
He died from a catastrophic head injury after sustaining severe trauma to the brain that was ‘incompatible with life’, a post-mortem revealed.
Nottinghamshire assistant coroner Sarah Wood recorded the death as ‘accidental’ at the hearing last Wednesday.
The coroner said Mr Chivers had placed himself in a vulnerable position and when Ms Valentine pressed the accelerator, the vehicle reacted abruptly, resulting in a sudden increase in speed.
The coroner said: ‘This left him with little time to react and knocked him to the ground.
‘What happened next was a tragic event and I find it is more likely than not that Ms Valentine panicked in an attempt to move the car away.
‘Since the vehicle was in reverse, it moved toward him, ultimately running him over and leading to the head injury that caused his death.
‘This was a tragic accident which I’m sure Ms Valentine is very unlikely to recover from.’
Emergency services were called to the scene at Bracebridge Recreation Ground by a member of the public but Mr Chivers was pronounced dead at the scene at around 11am.
PC Philip Broughton, of Nottinghamshire Police, told the hearing Ms Valentine may have had ‘sudden acceleration syndrome’.
He explained this happens when a driver intends to brake but instead steps on the accelerator.
At the time of his death, a statement from Bassetlaw Multicultural Association where the pair were both members, said: ‘David was a much-loved and valued member of our festival team, and the beloved husband of our chair of trustees, Elaine.
‘As a committee, we made the swift decision to cancel the festival out of deep respect for David and Elaine, and because of the proximity of the accident to the festival location.’
The association added: ‘David was a kind, caring, and dedicated individual who would do anything to support the festival, and other people.
‘His absence will be felt by all of us, and none of us will ever forget his contributions, his spirit, or his dedicated support.
‘He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.’
