Inspection Detail

Inspection: 317171080 - Recycling, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Iowa 0751910

Investigation Summary

At approximately 5:40 p.m. on June 19, 2013, Employee #1 was driving a garbage truck for a recycling company. The truck was a Ford truck with a McNeilus rear-loading trash body. It belonged to the recycling company. It had the vehicle identification number (VIN) 3FEXF8011XMA10183. The truck had broken down while on a garbage route. A 1999 Western Star model 4964FX wrecker truck, with VIN 2WKPDDXJ6XK956716, belonging to a wrecker company, towed the Ford back to the recycling company's facility. It was driven by the wrecking truck company's driver. Employee #1 was standing on the right rear side (passenger side) of the garbage truck, directing the wrecker's driver into a parking area. A semitrailer, with company serial number 4311 and annual inspection label number 9645110, was parked in the area that the wrecker truck and garbage truck were being backed into. The bottom of the parked trailer was approximately 49 inches (1.24 meters) from the ground. The top edge of the loading mechanism on the right rear of the garbage body was approximately 57 inches (1.45 meters) from the ground. The wrecker driver had been watching Employee #1 in the right-hand side (passenger side) mirror. He had quickly glanced in the left mirror and then back again to the right mirror to watch Employee #1. The driver could not see Employee #1, so he stopped the truck. He went behind the garbage truck, where he saw Employee #1 pinned between the garbage truck and the parked semitrailer. The driver ran back to the tow truck and pulled the wrecker truck and garbage truck ahead. Employee #1 had been crushed. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Keywords: GARBAGE TRUCK, OBSTRUCTED REAR VIEW, DRIVER, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, TRAILER, BACKING UP