Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309291276 - Illinois Excavators, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Fairview Heights Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approx 10:00 a.m. on June 2, 2008, Employee #1 and other employees were pouring concrete in a median on a Greenmount Road exit on Route 15 in Freeburg, Illinois. The project was 3 miles in length, and the employees were working at its west end. The section had lane changes, designed and regulated by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The traffic had to move one lane to the North, and the lane changes were clearly painted. Large orange barrels filled with sand were used to direct traffic to the northern lane. A tractor trailer was travelling through, heading East from Freeburg, Illinois. It failed to change lanes, as designated by the large orange barrels and markings. The truck drove straight through the barrels, as it was discovered later, without applying brakes, and hit an Illinois Excavators' company pickup truck. At that time, employees were taking a break. One employee was in the cab of that pickup truck, and Employee #1 was on the tailgate getting a drink, most likely with his back directed to the oncoming truck. The employee in the cab was able to avoid the accident. The tractor trailer hit the pickup, a headlight to a headlight, pushing the pickup forward, approximately 260 ft. Then, the tractor trailer together with the pickup truck hit another Illinois Department of Transportation pickup. Employee #1 was thrown into the median and fractured his neck. He was taken to the hospital and died two hours after the accident.

Keywords: FRACTURE, HIGHWAY, TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, POURING, NECK, STRUCK BY, TRACTOR, PICKUP TRUCK, TRAILER, CONCRETE