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Dad-of-two killed at rubbish depot: Driver still conscious after being crushed
A father of two toddlers was crushed and killed at a rubbish depot.
Sam Boothman, a pick-up truck driver at World's End Waste in Battersea, talked to paramedics when they arrived, but lost consciousness and died at the scene.
The tragedy struck when Mr Boothman, married and in his early 30s, was closing the back of his lorry at 2pm on Tuesday last week.
A digger with its shovel mechanism raised, driven by another employee, is believed to have collided with his parked truck, crushing him against a shed wall.
One site worker said Mr Boothman, a friend of the firm's owner, was conscious when an ambulance crew arrived 20 minutes later.
"He could lift his left leg he gave them his date of birth.
"But then he couldn't open his eyes, and they kept talking to him to open his eyes. They were there for 30 minutes trying to resuscitate him."
A trauma doctor declared Mr Boothman, from Chelsea, dead at the scene. His body was taken to St Thomas's Hospital and his family informed.
Wandsworth Police said they were not called until 4.30pm, several hours after the accident, when the company's director was told by the Health and Safety Executive the police must be informed.
A police spokesman said: "There is nothing at the moment to indicate it is anything other than a tragic accident.
"We work hand-in- hand with the HSE. We'll take statements from everybody."
The site's office manager said company bosses were too distraught to make a statement.
Mr Boothman's colleague, a worker at World's End Waste for two-and-half years, said he had never seen an accident there before, and relations with managers were very good.
On the mood following the tragedy, he said: "When an accident happens I don't think people will be angry. People are sad because it's a mistake, a bad mistake.
"We all feel the gap, you know?"
The Battersea and Wandsworth TUC demanded a full and open investigation.into Mr Boothman's death.
TUC organiser Geoff Martin said: "Our sympathies go out to Mr Boothman's friends and family."
The death was the first of two serious industrial accidents in south- west London in four days.
On Friday morning a builder at a site in Wimbledon Broadway fell three storeys from scaffolding, suffering head injuries.
10:26am Thursday 10th June 2004
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