Great-grandmother on Caribbean cruise killed by reversing truck in Barbados
A great-grandmother was killed by a reversing truck whilst on her dream holiday cruising the Caribbean.
Janet Purkess, 87, died in the fatal collision in Barbados while visiting the island as she fulfilled her 'lifelong' ambition to go.
An inquest heard how Mrs Purkess had just disembarked the vessel when she was struck by a portside lorry, which was being driven by an unlicensed driver at the time.
The truck had not sounded a reverse alarm and also had no rear view mirrors when it hit the pensioner, the coroner heard.
Mrs Purkess, from Hampshire, had been recently widowed after her husband of 66 years died the year before, and was excited to visit an old pen pal in Trinidad.
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The cruise was on an unscheduled stop in Bridgetown, Barbados, when Janet was hit by a reversing truck (scu)The Saga Sapphire cruise had made a final and unscheduled stop at Bridgetown, Barbados, to refuel and never got to visit her goal location.
It was the final stop on the cruise and the ship had been due to dock at Trinidad, but changed route because Trinidad had no fuel.
Portsmouth Coroner's court heard how the driver had reported feeling a knock while reversing, but had assumed it was rubbish fallen from a nearby skip.
Anthony Walcott, who was driving, was later charged over Janet's death with his trial having been adjourned repetitively over the past two years, and now due to be held later this year.
Coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp told Janet's family: "This was an awful thing that happened to your mother and I'm terribly sorry.
"The post mortem examination was very distressing as she suffered a number of extreme injuries and died as a result of being crushed.
"However, none of this is straightforward because the incident was in Barbados and the case has been dogged by coronavirus which took out ships for two years during which time a number of staff have left and can't be located and the ship's captain is on constant manoeuvres around the world."
The cruise was supposed to dock in Trinidad (Getty Images)Ms Rhodes-Kemp told the hearing that driver Mr Walcott was currently awaiting trial in Barbados in June.
"Usually you wait for a trial before the inquest but I thought we could at least hear the evidence because if we continue waiting we'll lose even more witnesses than we already have and we'll never gather the right people here.
"We're not getting a terribly satisfactory response and to hold up the inquest indefinitely would be a shame."
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Two of Mrs Purkess' sons, Richard and Chris, attended the inquest with a third brother, Michael, joining by video link.
The coroner heard written evidence from Anthony Walcott, the truck driver, which said he had felt a "bump on the back wheels" whilst reversing but had assumed it was rubbish that had fallen from a nearby skip.
Ms Rhodes-Kemp said questions needed to be answered in relation to signage in place at the port and where was safe to walk and where wasn't.
She also said evidence would be heard as to whether anyone was directing passengers and Saga's responsibility and what control they had over what happened at the harbour in relation to assisting passengers who were getting off the ship.
Outside the hearing Mrs Purkess' son, Richard said: "My parents had been married for 66 years and my father, who was a chief petty officer for the Royal Navy, had sadly died the year previously.
"My mother was feeling very lonely and wanted to get away from it all.
"They had enjoyed cruising together after retirement but had never been to the Caribbean. It was a life-long dream of hers to visit Trinidad because she had had a penpal from there for years when she was younger.
"It is such a tragic irony that the ship never made it to Trinidad, instead docking in Barbados for fuel, where she was killed.
"The double irony is that her body was taken to Trinidad before being flown back to the UK. So she did manage to get there but only after her death."
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