Forklift crushes child

Press, 1 September 1986, Page 9

Forklift crushes child

Nelson reporter

A child, aged five, was killed instantly at Tahunanui yesterday when the forklift on which he was riding toppled over. He was Owen Leonard Ryan, a son of Mr L. Ryan, 31 Tipahi Street, Nelson, and Ms Sharon Hemi. The Nelson police said the accident occurred about 4.10 p.m. on the industrial site of Print Pac, Beatty Street, Tahunanui. While Mr Ryan was servicing equipment in another part of the premises, a boy, aged 11, was driving the forklift Owen Ryan was riding on it as a passenger. When the machine toppled over, Owen was

crushed beneath it An inquest will be held. Last Saturday morning the children’s programme, “What Now,” included an item in which a girl was shown how to drive a forklift However, the programme producer, Mr Keith Tyler-Smith, raid the Nelson accident was “totally unconnected” to this item.

The item appeared as part of the “Milo Whacky Challenge,” in which children are given the opportunity to do things they would not normally do. Saturday’s programme showed briefly the girl being told which controls worked various parts of the forklift, he said. She was not given detailed