Shepherdess, 22, was crushed to dying when her quad bike toppled

A shepherdess was crushed to dying when her quad bike that was overloaded with weed killer toppled over on farmland within the Cotswolds, an inquest heard.

Laura Simmons’s physique was discovered by a jogger on Spoonley Farm, Winchcombe, after the 350kg bike overturned on tough terrain and broke her neck. 

Police have been known as to the scene and detectives dominated out suspicious circumstances – however the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a probe into the tragedy. 

Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court heard how the 22-year-old was believed to be driving the bike one-handed whereas she sprayed herbicide on vegetation alongside a fringe electrical fence. 

An examination of the bike by a Mechanical Engineering Specialist discovered the entrance rack of the all-terrain automobile (ATV) was overloaded with a tank containing the weed-killing chemical. 

Laura Simmons, pictured right here on her twenty second birthday in 2022, was discovered by a jogger on Spoonley Farm, Winchcombe, after a 350kg quad bike overturned and broke her neck

Detectives dominated out suspicious circumstances – however the Health and Safety Executive launched a probe into the tragedy 

In his report, David Whitton mentioned the rack was designed to carry as much as 30kg however was holding 49kg when it overturned. 

Mr Whitton additionally found that every one 4 tyres have been underinflated, with one utterly flat. 

He wrote: ‘I discovered a number of elements that may have diminished the dynamic stability of the ATV, which might have elevated the danger of the ATV overturning.

‘I’m of the opinion that the ATV overturned on account of a number of of those elements while manoeuvring on uneven terrain.’

On the day of her dying, Ms Simmons had been tasked with spraying weed killer alongside 20 kilometers of perimeter electrical fences. 

Her mom, Karen Simmons, had travelled down from her house on Shetland to vacation with Laura – spending an hour along with her earlier than she went to work. 

Emily O’Neil, a HSE inspector, informed the inquest that the usage of a quad bike and lance to spray weed killer just isn’t beneficial they usually advise in opposition to it. 

Ms Simmons was not carrying a helmet on the time, however Detective Sergeant Jonathan Williams, of Gloucestershire Constabulary, believed a helmet wouldn’t have prevented her dying on this case. 

Her employer, farmer Toby Baxter, of Chedworth, mentioned that spraying weed killer between the electrical fence posts on a quad bike was ‘fairly a fragile, gradual job’ and it was undertaken at ‘strolling tempo’. 

He added: ‘Laura was a really cautious operator. It was only a mixture of unlucky circumstances; the bottom was uneven however not unduly uneven.

‘It’s such a secular place, it is not someplace you’d go to and suppose, “That’s a stupid place to go on a quad bike”.

‘She wasn’t doing something fallacious, she was mainly going alongside most likely listening to music, not completely paying consideration, all of us try this after we’re driving.

‘This is a tragic accident, it is affected everybody.’

Ms Simmons taking care of ponies on the farm she grew up on within the Shetland Islands 

Mrs Simmons informed the inquest: ‘Laura was introduced up on a sheep farm and she or he did home-schooling, so she was serving to rather a lot along with her father on the sheep farm.

‘We had a number of quads, and she or he was driving them from an early age.

‘Certainly, from early teenagers, she was driving quads, and she or he was cautious. I used to look at her driving them and she or he did not drive excessively speedily.’

The jury returned a unanimous determination of unintended dying.

In a tribute, Mrs Simmons mentioned: ‘Laura was a a lot cherished daughter, sister and aunty.

‘We are heartbroken that she was tragically killed in a quad bike accident final 12 months on the younger age of twenty-two.

‘Her supervisor mentioned she was an distinctive employee and had performed nothing fallacious. She was a cautious quad driver.

‘She cherished animals, particularly sheep and canines, and dealing open air. She was a really caring particular person, light, sort and humorous with a lovely smile.

‘Laura was additionally adventurous, daring and decided. I went to go to her for a vacation and met her for about one hour the day she died, little did I do know that she would by no means return from her work.

‘She was blissful, wholesome and really content material engaged on the Spoonley Farm within the Cotswolds.

‘Her colleagues, supervisor and property house owners have been sort to her. One of her associates there mentioned she set an excellent instance to the younger folks on the farm as she was so cheerful.

‘It has been life-changing for my household to lose our expensive Laura and she or he shall be for ever in our hearts.’