A TRUCK driver has died after being thrown across his wagon by a strong gust of wind during Monday’s gales.

An inquest will be opened into the death of John Hind, 62, of Darlington on Monday.

Mr Hind, who worked for Roadstone Aggregates, based in Richmond, North Yorkshire, sustained injuries to his chest, head and hand when he was lifted into the air and across the other side of his wagon while at work in Ashington, Northumberland, on Monday.

He died the following night at about midnight in his home in Darlington.

Mr Hind’s partner, Carol Swainston, said he had some rope wrapped around his wrist which was attached to the curtain on the side of the wagon when it was caught by a sudden gust of wind.

She said: “It picked him up, ‘like a packet of crisps’ he said, and threw him across the wagon.

“The rope took his skin off his hand and he split his head and fractured his ribs.”

Ms Swainston said he was taken to a hospital in Northumberland and then when given the all-clear was driven back by a colleague to the wagon yard in Catterick, where his car was kept.

Mr Hind then drove himself home to Darlington. She said he was not himself when he arrived home on Monday evening.

“He slept the whole of the next day and then on the night when I helped him get to the bathroom at about 11.30pm he just collapsed, and he didn’t get back up. I called the paramedics and they couldn’t bring him back.”

Ms Swainston said she was told he died from a blood clot in his knee which travelled to his lung.

“He loved his job – he lived for it and it was the only job he’d ever known,” she said.

Mr Hind had two children, Sarah, 30, and Andrew, 32.

“He was a good man, and he was really good to me and my boys Craig and Sean,” said Ms Swainston.