Abstract: At approximately 12:10 p.m. on June 20, 1988, two electric utility crews were laying (pulling) underground electric cable in Tellino Village, TN. One crew had a truck with a power winch that was pulling the cable through a 500 foot long pipe. The cable was feeding into the pipe from a cable reel mounted on the rear of another truck. The reel on the feeding truck stopped abruptly due to a mechanical failure (hang up). This stoppage, which occurred while the other winch was still pulling, caused the feeding truck to be pulled backward. Employee #1, who was working behind the truck, was pinned against a utility pole and killed. The driver of the truck was at the side of the truck operating levers that raised the outriggers. Raising the outriggers allowed the truck to be pulled backward. There were no chocks under the wheels.