Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1002129.015 - David E. Wilkens, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Eau Claire Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 8:30 a.m. on October 20, 2014 an employee was loading a disabled vehicle onto a flat bed tow truck. The employee was following towing industry guidelines for recovery of a disabled vehicle. The disabled vehicle was parked on the shoulder of a roadway. The employee activated the tow vehicle's warning lights. The tow vehicle was legally parked in front of the disabled vehicle on the right-hand shoulder of the roadway and the employee was wearing a class appropriate high visibility jacket. The employee was preparing to hook the disabled vehicle to the flat-bed towing vehicle after deploying the flatbed of the tow vehicle. The winch cable was deployed and the employee was standing next to the driver's side rear wheel of his tow vehicle preparing to hook the winch cable to designated towing points on the disabled vehicles frame when a pickup truck traveling westbound failed to move to the left-hand lane as it approached. The pickup truck crossed over the fog line onto the shoulder of the road where the employee was located. The driver of the pickup truck struck the employee, and then sideswiped the driver's side of the tow vehicle. The employee was killed from blunt force trauma injuries to the head, torso, and lower extremities.

Keywords: Motor Vehicle, Struck By