Abstract: On July 10, 2003, Employee #1, a 24-year old irrigator, and a coworker, a tractor operator and irrigator, were assigned to ensure the tomato field continued to receive water during the hours between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The coworker drove the John Deere 7410 tractor down the levee road as part of the irrigation process. Employee #1 climbed into the cab of the tractor as a rider and closed the door. Employee #1 positioned himself between the driver and the closed door in a squat. Employee #1 requested the driver to hand him a lunch box from the driver's right side to sit on. When the driver's attention and eyes were on the task of grabbing and handing the lunch box to Employee #1, he steered the tractor off the levee road into an estimated 3.5-ft-deep ditch on the left side. The door to the left of Employee #1 opened and he exited the cab before the tractor completed its roll off the levee road. Employee #1 was found under the roll over protection (ROP) placement mechanism, between the ROP and the dirt ditch side. Employee #1 died of chest injuries. The rider was not in a seat and was not wearing a seat belt. It is unknown whether the door opened and Employee #1 fell out or if he opened the door and jumped out.