Inspection Detail

Inspection: 111920799 - Eastside Management Co.

Inspection Information - Office: Modesto District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on June 4, 1991, Employee #1, a farm worker irrigator, was driving a 300 cc, 30 HP Honda Fortrax 4-wheel ATV on a 20 ft wide dirt field margin parallel to a public road. He was seen by coworkers traveling west at a high rate of speed when the vehicle hit an embankment and vaulted over another public road. Coworkers saw the ATV headlights pointed straight up as the vehicle became airborne. It came to rest on the opposite shoulder of the road, upside down and on top of Employee #1. He suffered serious head injuries and was killed. Employee #1 had approximately 1 1/2 months of experience on this machine and had been verbally instructed to limit his speed to 20 mph and to stay off paved public roads except when crossing. The ATV was driven back to farm headquarters after the accident and was later inspected by the investigating officer. The brakes and steering were functional, and the throttle lever was broken in the accident. Alcohol impairment was suspected. When this report was written, the DOSH unit had been requested to obtain Employee #1's blood alcohol level from his medical records.

Keywords: EMBANKMENT, HEAD, TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, VEHICLE, AGRICULTURE, SPEEDING, WORK RULES, INTOXICATED, LOST CONTROL, OVERTURN