Abstract: At approximately 4:00 p.m. on August 30, 1991, Employee #1, of GMW Logging, Inc., was ground skidding logs with a Caterpillar 518 rubber-tired skidder. He was pulling a turn of three logs down a 12 ft wide skid trail over slopes of 4 to 5 percent. There were no witnesses to the accident, but physical evidence indicates that the skidder hit a stump on the left edge of the trail as it entered a gentle right hand curve. Apparently, Employee #1 was thrown into the front screen and possibly knocked unconscious. It is believed that he then fell out the right side of the skidder and was crushed by the rear tire as the machine rolled forward. A coworker found Employee #1 lying on the skid trail approximately 65 ft behind the skidder. He had sustained massive head, chest, and abdominal injuries. The emergency medical plan was carried out promptly, but Jackson County sheriffs pronounced the employee dead at the scene. Seat belts were provided, but their use was not mandatory.