A MAN was crushed after a campervan he was working on accelerated over him in a tragic accident, a coroner has found.

Tomas Shackson, 27, of Magnolia Close, Cardiff was working on a 1978 Winnebago campervan with father Terrence Shackson in Morgan Street Works, Llanbradach, Caerphilly, when broken safety features caused the van to drive forward, taking Mr Shackson with it.

The accident, at around 4:40pm on October 9, left Mr Shackson with critical injuries, an inquest heard today at Newport Coroner's Court.

Paramedics were on the scene in 15 minutes and Mr Shackson was taken to an intensive care unit University Hospital Wales.

There doctors stabilised his condition, but a lack of blood left him with irreversible brain damage.

He died on Saturday, October 13 at 3.36pm.

In a pre-written statement by his father, Mr Shackson was described as having a "passion" for restoring and selling classic cars together.

A forensic crash investigator from South Wales Police confirmed that while the campervan was in poor condition, the engine was still worth around £1000, as it could be used in other vehicles.

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An automatic lever that moved the van from park to drive had been bent, leaving the van stuck in drive.

Police confirmed the two could not have known, as the van still sounded and felt like it was shifting gears.

They had overridden a safety ignition switch to work on the van, but police confirmed this was a fairly standard procedure when restoring those models.

The fuel line was rusted, heard the inquest, so the pair poured petrol directly into the carburettor from a pop bottle, causing the van to drive forward over chocks set in place to hold it still.

Mr Shackson, who was underneath the car at the time, was caught underneath the van and killed.

In a statement read out to the court, Mr Shackson's family said: "Tomas was a popular and loving man who we miss every day, and always will.

"He was very family and friends orientated. He was talented and clever, happy and full of life.

"We take solace in knowing that he died doing what he loved, and that he would not have known it happened.

"Losing him has left a hole in our hearts and in our lives."

Senior coroner for Gwent Caroline Saunders said that Mr Shackson's death was a tragic accident, caused by events neither of the two men could predict.

The cause of death was recorded as a hypoxic brain injury, caused by a traumatic crush.