Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119827467 - H & H House Movers

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 5:30 a.m. on August 3, 2000, a truck was pulling an approximately 35-ton house in the southbound and downhill direction of Grand Avenue at a speed of about 1 to 3 miles per hour. The truck was moving the house from Arcadia to Pomona. Los Angeles City Sheriff was on-scene in response to calls to the station regarding a traffic jam caused by the move. During the transportation, the house was snagging and breaking tree branches along the roadside. At one point, the house snagged trees and veered to the west side of Grand Avenue. The truck driver moved the green truck towards the middle divider to try to loosen the house from the tree branches. In addition, the truck driver stated that he was trying to move the house so that "the cars could pass by." The truck driver instructed his employees to detach the steering mechanism (located beneath the rigid pipe bar) of the front dolly in order to maneuver the house away from the snagged trees. The truck was connected to a base transport unit beneath the house by two components. These components were a front steering mechanism containing four wheels and a 14-ft, 8-in. rigid pipe bar. The truck driver instructed Employee #1 and two other employees to adjust the latch. The three employees dropped the steering tongue of the front dolly to move the truck over to the left side (facing south) of the road. After they did so, one of the employees went to the west side of the house, and the other two employees were on the south side of the trailer. The truck's wheels were not chocked as the employees were attempting to maneuver the dolly. The owner's truck was positioned to the east of the house towards the middle road divider. The truck position resulted in the rigid pipe bar being angled at a position that was not perpendicular; instead, it was angled at less than 45-degrees in relation to the downhill force of the house. The employees detached the steering tongue from the rigid stabilizing bar. Employee #1 was positioned between the house and the truck. On the eastern side of the house, Employee #1 and another employee were adjusting the steering mechanism. The truck position, adjustment of the steering mechanism, and other related factors caused the house to move forward approximately 8 feet. A steel I-beam portion of the base transport unit carrying the house struck Employee #1 from behind hitting his lower back. The house then struck the rear of the truck stopping its forward movement. Employee #1 was airlifted the local medical center and died later that morning.

Keywords: CHOCK, STRUCTURE MOVING, STEEL BEAM, MOBILE HOME, TRUCK, STRUCK BY