Inspection Detail

Inspection: 122190945 - Freesen Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Peoria Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 12:50 p.m. on May 13, 1996, the operator of a Ford F super duty 2 ton truck with an attached 20 ft long fifth wheel flatbed trailer, was instructed to back his truck and trailer south along the west shoulder of the northbound lanes of the Route 336 extension. The trailer was carrying a water tank to be used to clean the dirt from a backhoe bucket that was being used approximately 50 to 60 ft south of the trailer. The truck driver walked to the back (south) side of the trailer, where he saw that an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) vehicle was parked between his trailer and the backhoe. He asked the IDOT representative on site to move his vehicle, then watched him do so. The truck driver then walked along the driver's (west) side of his truck, entered the cab, checked both mirrors, and began backing up. Unobserved and at an unknown time, Employee #1, a roller operator, had parked his roller on the east side of the trailer and then walked to the rear of it. As the Ford truck began backing southward, the backhoe operator, who was digging south of the truck, turned and saw Employee #1 being crushed under the rear trailer axle. He began waving and yelling at the truck driver, who had backed approximately 10 ft when he saw the backhoe operator's gestures. The truck driver pulled forward and ran to the rear of the trailer, where he observed Employee #1 lying on the ground. Employee #1 sustained multiple massive injuries to the chest and was killed. The truck driver's view to the rear had been obstructed by the tanks on the trailer, and he was looking primarily at the driver's side mirror while backing.

Keywords: CHEST, OBSTRUCTED VIEW, WORK RULES, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, CONSTRUCTION, TRAILER, RUN OVER, BACKING UP