Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126126424 - Eller Media Co.

Inspection Information - Office: Ca Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 6:15 a.m. on October 15, 1998, Employee #1 was driving a truck crane and a coworker was riding on the passenger side of the vehicle. The truck crane was proceeding east on a private farm dirt road. The employees had serviced a company-maintained billboard near the farm. The vehicle was traveling between six and twenty mph. As the employees were exiting the area, the truck crane struck a partially open access gate. It appeared that Employee #1 did not notice that the gate was not fully open. The coworker stated when they entered the property he did not notice the gate and said of the numerous times previously that he had been to this site he did not know there was a gate. The gate was constructed of 2-in. square aluminum tubing. When the gate is partially open you only see a 2- in. - square so it is almost invisible. The truck crane struck the gate causing a section of the tubing to go through the fiberglass fender, through the firewall and it impaled Employee #1 in the groin area. The coworker reached over to activate the air brake but the brake lines were severed. The coworker turned off the ignition and grabbed the steering wheel and turned it to the right to keep from going into traffic. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital were he later died.

Keywords:traffic accident, impaled, truck crane, struck against, advertising sign