In a tragic turn of events , 74-year-old millionaire businessman Henry Thirsk was fatally crushed by his own Range Rover after leaving it in reverse back in 2022, an inquest determined.
His wife, Sarah-Jane Thirsk, initially mistook her husband's body for bags before frantically attempting CPR as emergency services hurried to their Everingham, East Yorkshire property.
During the hearing at Hull Coroners Court, Senior Coroner Paul Marks ruled that Mr. Thirsk's death was accidental and absolved anyone from blame on Tuesday (August 13).
Coroner Marks explained, "The most likely explanation of the evidence, taken at its highest, is that Henry stopped the vehicle in the field with the engine running ."
"He got out of the vehicle that had been left in reverse, opened the rear door, and due to creeping of the vehicle, which was not opposed by the engagement of the EPB [electrical parking break] toppled him and subsequently ran over him, occasioning rapidly fatal chest injuries.", reports the Manchester Evening News .
Marks concluded, "So the conclusion of this court is that Henry Stamford Thirsk died as a result of an accident... This is nothing other than a tragic accident; nobody is to blame."
The court was shocked to hear that Sarah-Jane had seen the lights from his car outside her bathroom window at 9:30 p.m. on the night he passed away. Stepping out to investigate, she found what looked like 'sacks' near their garage, only to discover, to her distress, that it was actually his body.
A grief-stricken Sarah-Jane recounted the horrifying moment in court: "I saw the driver's door open and the back door. I started shouting for him. Then I turned around and saw what I thought was some sacks lying by the garage, but it was him."
She continued, with raw emotion: "I knelt down, and when I realized it was him, I jumped up. I went hysterical... then I started CPR. He was on his side, so I turned him over. It was quite hard to hear the breathing all the time."
According to testimony, Henry and Sarah-Jane had been partners for some 18 years and tied the knot amidst the pandemic. Despite suffering a few strokes earlier, his physical health was reputedly stable.
On his last day, the court learned that Sarah-Jane had driven their friend John Waters to a Manchester medical appointment using Henry's treasured Rolls Royce. They returned to find Henry at home around 4 pm for a casual wine.
Yet later that evening, Sarah-Jane left once again this time for Chinese takeout. As she returned, she noted her husband departing in his Range Rover, not knowing it would be the last time.
She stated that it wasn't unusual for the businessman, who owned the Feathers Hotel in Pocklington, to inspect his property in the evening. However, she was taken aback when she noticed headlights through an upstairs window of their home near their helipad.
George Cooper, a neighboring farmer who had known Henry for over three decades, also received a frantic call from Sarah-Jane after she found Henry. He recounted her urgent plea over the phone: "You've got to come quickly, You've got to come quickly, I need you now."
Upon arrival, Cooper performed CPR on Henry for '17 minutes' until paramedics arrived and took over. Sarah-Jane faced questioning by Mr Marks about why she moved Henry's car and photographed his injuries before the arrival of the paramedics.
She explained: "I kept thinking he was alive and when we went the hospital for his strokes, and we went there for something else, maybe eye surgery, he said 'Let me see the pictures, let me see what I look like with all my leads on'."
"And I think I did it to show him when he asked me when I showed him."
Regarding the car, she added: "George said the air ambulance is coming and in that moment, that's where we landed our helicopter and I just thought, they can't land as the car is in the way. I moved the car off the field so they could land."
Pathologist Dr. Christopher Johnson, after examining the body, concluded that Henry's injuries were 'consistent' with those sustained from being crushed by a car.
Mr. Marks declared the cause of death to be "chest injuries arising from a vehicle run over."
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