Heidi Chalkley (40) was crushed by an automatic garage door

[beli]

A woman was crushed to death by an automatic garage door in an 'act of silliness' it emerged today.
Heidi Chalkley, 40, a mother-of-one, was pulled into the rolling mechanism when she grabbed onto it with both hands.

Coroners' officer Paul Garnell said: 'She had pressed the button to operate it and in the process of the shutter going up in an act of silliness she reached up and held on to the shutter.

'She was meant to drop down but her arms got caught and it's (the shutter) pulled her up into the mechanism where it caused death immediately.

'Members of the public tried to come to her aid but it was unsuccessful.'

The incident at a block of flats in Cambridge is being investigated by police and health and safety officers.

An inquest is due to be opened tomorrow.

A resident nearby said: 'I came outside because I saw the woman crying. I said "what's the matter?" and she said something had happened and she needed help.

'I went to look in the garage and saw her legs hanging. It was not a sight to want to remember. It was horrific and I'm doing my best to forget it.'

Police said: 'We were called to reports of a sudden death of a woman in Ruth Bagnall Court, Coleridge Road, Cambridge at about 7.30pm on Sunday.

'The incident has been referred to the Health and Safety Executive.'

A spokesman for Luminus said: 'At around 9.15pm on Sunday 14 August Luminus was alerted by Cambridgeshire Police that a woman had died as a result of an accident involving a car park security shutter at Ruth Bagnall Court.

'Luminus staff were on site within 30 minutes to assist the Police with their enquiries.

'While the investigation by the Police and Health and Safety Executive is underway it would be inappropriate to comment any further.

'We express our deepest sympathies to the family of the person who sadly died.'

http://mydeathspace.com/article/2016...ic_garage_door

[aphaziak]

That's just.... wow.

[Bewitchingstorm]

Very tragic. I don't understand the "act of silliness" mention. I guess that means she was joking around/goofing off and was hanging from the garage door for some reason?

[Angiebla]

Very tragic. I don't understand the "act of silliness" mention. I guess that means she was joking around/goofing off and was hanging from the garage door for some reason?

Yes. It appears to be a commercial garage (as opposed to a residential one). I think she was holding onto the roller part (at the bottom of the door) with both hands, possibly swinging? I think the machine pulled her up, and into it. I'm guessing the door goes into the ceiling?

Sorry if that doesn't make sense

[Bewitchingstorm]

It does - thanks, Angie. I actually was able to visualize it as I read your explanation. Yikes!

[Boston Babe 73]

"act of silliness"


And we laughed and laughed and laughed.....

[Bewitchingstorm]

"act of silliness"


And we laughed and laughed and laughed.....

I know - that was such an inconsiderate thing to write.

[daisylane]

I know - that was such an inconsiderate thing to write.

I think that's someone's way of avoiding taking responsibility - it was HER 'act of silliness' - not a shitty old roller door, the building etc...

Poor thing this would be fucking horrid. RIP.

[hamdinger125]

I thought garage doors were made to stop going up if they had too much weight on them. Or is that only residential ones?

[curiouscat]

My friends and I (age 10-12) used to run under the garage door as it was closing, thank goodness none of us ever got squashed. If it was an act of silliness, I think the woman should've known better given her age and all.

[beli]

This reminds me of the teenager who was playing with his buddies at an apartment complex. They had these gates that would go up for cars. It sounded like a chain link fence type of thing. The boys would play on it, grabbing onto it and jumping off before the gate got to the top of the roll. This one kid's shirt got caught, and he couldn't get off. His head was crushed by the gate roller. The article that was written over it disturbed me. They said his body was convulsing as he dangled for like 20 minutes. There were kids and a crowd gathered around. Uggggghhh.

The boy's name is Yakim McDaniels. He's got an article on here.

[More Cowbelle]

My friends and I (age 10-12) used to run under the garage door as it was closing, thank goodness none of us ever got squashed. If it was an act of silliness, I think the woman should've known better given her age and all.

Not sure she was all that mature. All her photos have the fish-lips pose all the (very) young girls post on FB. Ick.

[curiouscat]

Not sure she was all that mature. All her photos have the fish-lips pose all the (very) young girls post on FB. Ick.

Ah. Trying to pretend that she was still hip. I have a cousin that does the duck lips, I think she's an idjit.

[bettykitten]

Ah. Trying to pretend that she was still hip. I have a cousin that does the duck lips, I think she's an idjit.

that's pretty mean, "doing the duck lips" does not mean you are stupid and deserve to die. Seriously that comment makes you the idjit.

[bettykitten]

Not sure she was all that mature. All her photos have the fish-lips pose all the (very) young girls post on FB. Ick.

and you're not any better. Kinda funny, kinda a twat if you ask me.

[curiouscat]

that's pretty mean, "doing the duck lips" does not mean you are stupid and deserve to die. Seriously that comment makes you the idjit.

I was calling my cousin an idiot. Sorry for your loss!

[More Cowbelle]

and you're not any better. Kinda funny, kinda a twat if you ask me.

Twat. Such an crass, low-class sort-of word. YOU are ick. PS - no one asked you.

[Jp1129]

This story is pretty sad and honestly something I could see myself doing...I do silly things to make my son laugh sometimes and from what I read, she grabbed on with both hands so that it started to lift her up, but when she let go, her arm got caught in the damn thing...such a shitty way to go..

[Headstenab]

I know - that was such an inconsiderate thing to write.

I agree with you.

[Lily Rivers]

That's awful. She was alone when she did this?

[Jumaki15]

"an act of silliness"

Greatest COD ever.

[blighted star]

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/re...e6428960456d23

Mum ?dragged to death? into garage door


A WOMAN who asked her friend if she?d ?ever held on to a garage door as it goes up? panicked when her hands became caught.

Brittany Vonow
The SunOCTOBER 23, 2018 8:48AM



A MUM was killed after being crushed in an automatic garage door, an inquest in the UK has heard.

Social worker Heidi Chalkley, 40, was pulled into the metal rollers just moments after asking a friend if she had ever held onto the doors, The Sun reports.

Her friend Susan Gilmore watched in horror as Ms Chalkley became trapped and rose a metre from the floor before being crushed to death.

An inquest in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, 120km north of London, heard witnesses desperately tried to save the mother but nothing could be done.

The hearing was told the friends had dropped Ms Gilmore?s car off at her home in Cambridge on August 14, 2016, when Ms Chalkley ran up to the garage door, pressing the button.

Ms Gilmore told police: ?As it went up, Heidi said to me, ?Have you ever held on to it as it goes up??

?Heidi grabbed hold of the shutters. I thought she was going to let go. She started to panic as her hands got caught on the barrier.

?Everything happened so quickly, in a matter of seconds.?


The road leading to the garage where Ms Chalkley died. Picture: GoogleMapsSource:Supplied

The jury heard that a male witness named James Spitale rushed to help, trying to pull the woman?s head from the shutting mechanism at the top of the garage door.

?She was not moving at all. I stood behind her and took hold of her legs.

?I tried my best to do anything I could,? Mr Spitale said.

Jurors heard that Mr Spitale was later told by paramedics that it was ?too late?.

A post-mortem examination showed that Ms Chalkley had suffered fractures to her mandible, ribs, spine and arms.

The cause of death was confirmed as being multiple injuries.

Ruth Bagnall Court was built in 2004 as part of a housing scheme for workers such as teachers and firefighters.

Graeme Warden, a health and safety inspector at the Health and Safety Executive, told jurors the gate to the underground car park had been ?subject to multiple repairs? since its installation.

He added that there had been numerous reports of breakdowns and vandalism of the door.

The inquest, led by assistant coroner Sean Horstead is expected to last two days.