Abstract: At 9:15 a.m. on October 11, 1988, Employee #1, a backhoe operator, was standing on the right side of a J. I. Case loader/backhoe, model 580BCK, serial #8725571. He was using a screwdriver with a 13 in. blade to jump the solenoid because the starter button did not work. The backhoe started and began moving in reverse toward an approximately 9 ft deep by 21 in. wide by 91 ft long open trench. A coworker warned another worker who was inside the trench. Employee #1 then apparently moved the power shuttle shift lever from REVERSE to FORWARD, causing the backhoe to start moving forward. The right rear tire ran over Employee #1's head and upper body. He died of cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to massive head trauma. The spring leaf shuttle lock was defective, allowing the shuttle lever to move too easily. At the time of the accident it was clear and 57 degrees F.