Iowa FACE Fatality Summaries: 1997
Summary Case Report: A 37-year-old painter for an agricultural machinery manufacturing plant was using an electroplating spray gun to paint equipment. While cleaning the gun, he set it down next to a vat of paint thinner. A spark from the paint gun caused an explosion and fire which severely injured him. He died the following day at a regional hospital. The cause is thought to be human error.
Summary Case Report: A 48-year-old switchman for a freight railroad was part of a crew doing routine work moving locomotives around switchyard. Victim radioed to partner to push locomotive forward. While it was moving, victim had to cross the tracks, but walked down the middle of tracks for a distance and did not realize locomotive was coming at him. It hit him from behind, dragged him, then ran over him. He routinely wore ear plugs and probably didnt hear the approaching car.
Summary Case Report: A 59-year-old television repairman was working at his bench at a local tv repair shop, last seen 1½ hours prior to being found dead from electrocution. He was repairing a microwave oven on his bench. Autopsy showed linear burns on his fingers consistent with electrocution. He had a history of epilepsy. Toxicology is pending.
Summary Case Report: 64-year-old farmer was helping his son by transporting 2 hogs in his old pickup truck. He was traveling down a hard-surfaced county road. His transmission went out and he pulled over on the side of the road. He sent his son to a nearby farm, then proceeded to attempt repair to the transmission. The truck was on a slight slope. While doing repairs the truck rolled enough to crush his chest. He was dead at the scene.
Summary Case Report: 50-year-old self-employed heavy equipment business owner was using his front-end loader to cut down trees along a county highway. He was cutting down a 70 ft. tall cottonwood tree, 30 inches in diameter. When the tree fell, its top hit a standing tree causing the trunk to kick back about 30 feet hitting the victim in the chest. He was dead at the scene from massive chest trauma.
Summary Case Report: 47-year-old machine operator at a tire manufacturing plant was crushed in the chest area between the drum and tread tray of a tire- forming machine. The event was unwitnessed. Investigation by machine manufacturer revealed a defective switch on the safety pad on the floor. CPR was initiated by co-workers, pulse was returned, but man" died two days later of anoxic encephalopathy.
Summary Case Report: 76-year-old farmer was working alone moving a large wooden cattle feed bunk. He was using a long metal pry bar to position the bunk when it fell on top of him. His cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation. The bunk was 5 x 16 feet and was 1 foot high. Time of the accident is not known. He was not found until 1 or 2 days later by his nephew.
Summary Case Report: 38-year-old farmer was helping his dad empty corn from a bin. This was at a remote site on their farm where grain was stored. The bin had given them problems the day before, apparently from stuck grain. They were removing corn using bottom auger system, when the victim entered the bin to loosen the corn. While unloading he got caught in the grain and became totally submerged. He was dug out one hour later.
Summary Case Report: 22-year-old apprentice sheet metal worker was working in an attic area during an industrial remodel job for a city library. He lost his grip or footing and fell 25 feet to the floor, suffering fatal head injuries. He was repairing holes in ductwork, walking across joists, not using any form of fall protection.
Summary Case Report: 59-year-old owner of a private storage facility was apparently doing repair work on the side of his building, standing on a 12-foot ladder with a caulking gun. He was found dead by his wife at the base of the building with obvious fatal head injuries from falling onto the frozen ground. He had a 20-year history of a disabled right leg due to a work injury and he walked with a cane. It was a cold and windy day.
Summary Case Report: 45-year-old welder for a trenching and excavating company was working outside the shop on a 600 lb trailer, which was positioned on" its side. Co-worker was using a skid-steer loader to lower trailer to the ground when it fell down striking the victim in the abdomen with the tongue of the trailer. Victim received extensive lacerations to his liver and died of blood loss while in the hospital ICU.
Summary Case Report: 55-year-old laborer at a grain co-op was unloading corn from a quonset building where it was stored. The building had a wooden bulkhead at each end. Man was pushing a vacuum tube through this bulkhead deeper into the grain. Apparently the grain was domed or crusted over, for it suddenly collapsed inside the bin, and the extra force from this blew out the bulkhead, striking the man, then burying him in 8 ft. of corn.
Summary Case Report: 20-year-old part-time laborer for a residential construction company was helping others unload drywall from a truck using a skid-steer loader equipped with front forks. The loader tipped forward because the load was too heavy. Several workers stood on the rear of loader to balance it, but the drywall shifted, then fell down causing the machine to buck up and down, crushing victim's head after he fell to the ground.
Summary Case Report: 35-year-old iron worker was working on new construction at elevation of ~35 feet. He was carrying metal roofing material stepping across metal joists. He missed one joist and fell 15 ft. to hit a cooling unit, then another 18 ft. to the ground. He suffered a few broken ribs but no serious injury, however while in the hospital he had a major heart attack and died shortly after. No fall protection was used.
Summary Case Report: 39-year-old road inspector working for city government was inspecting road re-paving project. He was run over by a dump truck as it was backing up. The driver states he did not see the victim. The back-up alarm was working, but it was very windy that day, and speculation is that he did not hear it. The man died from multiple head and neck fractures, ribs and pelvic fracture also.
Summary Case Report: 60-year-old farmer was using an older skid steer loader to remove bushes and small trees along a fence line. He had a chain attached to a tree with the other end hooked to the loader bucket. After raising the bucket and partially pulling up the tree, he got out of the loader. While getting back in, or while trying to reach the controls from the outside, the bucket came down and crushed him against the machine. Full Report with Photos
Summary Case Report: 25-year-old semi-trailer operator was driving a load of cattle down a state highway early in the morning. He evidently took a left corner too fast and went into the ditch overturning on its side. The driver was partially thrown out of the cab and received multiple fatal injuries. He was alone at the time of the accident.
Summary Case Report: 49-year-old church pastor was driving down a county road in a rural area and ran a stop sign. He was hit by a milk tanker truck and died at the scene. It was reported that he had a habit of running this stop sign because he rarely encountered anyone at this intersection.
Summary Case Report: 64-year-old truckdriver was washing his tractor at a washing facility for a mining operation. He was using a platform to access the top of his vehicle when he slipped off the top of his truck falling 10 feet to the ground below, which was covered with hard-packed gravel. He suffered head injuries and died at the scene.
Summary Case Report: 80-year-old farmer was unloading spoiled corn from a conventional metal corn bin using bottom unloader. He was working alone. For an unknown reason he entered the bin while the auger was running and caught himself in the moving auger.
Summary Case Report: 55-year-old painter was using a boom truck to paint farm buildings at a rural location. Victim was working alone positioning the boom prior to painting. Witnesses heard sparks and turned to see the boom touching the power line. The victim was still gripping the controls, and was killed instantly. Exit wounds were found through both big toes. Hydraulic lines were severed by the wires. No powerline breakers blew!
Summary Case Report: 45-year-old dump truck driver working for a farm supply company was driving his truck down an interstate highway. When he crested a hill, he noticed that all traffic had stopped due a recent accident ahead. He slammed on his brakes, skidded into the right ditch, and rolled the dump truck onto its top. He was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered severe head injuries. He was trapped in the truck and died at the scene.
Summary Case Report: 15-year-old teenager was helping his father working in a tractor repair shop. He was using a 220 volt electric power washer cleaning a combine when he was electrocuted. Investigation proved nothing wrong with the washer, however an extension cord had shorted out at the male end. The ground had fused to a hot wire. Electric current traveled through the steel braided pressure hose. He was wearing rubber boots.
Summary Case Report: 60-year-old farmer was using an older, narrow-front tractor, equipped with a sickle bar, to cut hay. While cutting on the edge of a field, on a slight slope, the left rear tire went over a tree stump which caused the tractor to rollover, crushing the farmer. The stump was about 15 inches high and was hidden in the grass. The farmer was dead at the scene. The tractor didn't have a Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS).
Summary Case Report: 55-year-old manager of a grocery store was stabbed in the back with a knife when he approached a man who was in the process of stealing cigarettes from the store. The man stabbed two others while he fled the store and was captured the next day at a local bar. The victim had been store manager for several years. He died at the scene from stab wound to lower back.
Summary Case Report: 21-year-old electrician was working on an aerial lift wiring lights for a remodel job at a mall. He was using 277 volt, 3-phase powered light fixtures. Two hot wires were disconnected; the third was used for worklights. The neutral for this circuit became disconnected. The man was electrocuted when he touched this phase wire while his other hand was grounded on the ceiling fixture. He died five days later.
Summary Case Report: 34-year-old worker for a manufactured house company was helping to move a house. The truck pulling the house got stuck and they were trying to jack up the truck and put planks under its wheels. No one saw exactly what happened, but the ground shifted and the hitch on the truck fell on the victim, pinning his head to the ground. He was killed instantly. In the future they will use cribbing under the hitch.
Summary Case Report: 33-year-old painter was using a ladder to scrape and paint the side of a business building on the town square. He fell off the ladder hitting the concrete receiving severe head injuries. He never regained consciousness and died shortly after in the hospital. Event was not witnessed. Man had history of epilepsy and dilantin non-compliance. Seizures were frequent. Medical examiner has inconclusive opinion about his cause of death.
Summary Case Report: 72-year-old farmer was helping to mount a tire on a combine. The tire had been on a narrower wheel and they were using ether starting fluid to seat the tire to the rim. They put in too much ether and the tire exploded knocking the victim several feet, causing closed chest and abdominal injuries. The man died 3 days later from generalized sepsis aggravated by ruptured organs and blood loss.
Summary Case Report: 41-year-old carpenter was working in his shop using a large Honda generator to supply electricity. He had not paid the rent and the power had been turned off. The generator was in an adjacent room. The outside door of the shop was closed. The generator had been turned off by the victim but he was overcome later by the fumes. The official cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning.
Summary Case Report: 34-year-old operator of a sewage treatment plant was working in a basement room of the plant replacing a plugged pump on an 8" diameter sewage pipe. He and a coworker disconnected the pump not knowing that the upstream line was still under pressure. Sewage water, hydrogen sulfide, and methane gas poured into the room. The victim was overcome by gas and drowned as the room filled up. Co-worker barely escaped and called 911.
Summary Case Report: 36-year-old mechanic for a mobile crane service was working on top of a portable tower crane positioned adjacent to a new foundation for a commercial windmill tower. They were installing the generator on top of the tower when suddenly one outrigger adjacent to the foundation slipped in the back-filled dirt causing the entire crane to fall over. The victim fell 140 feet with the crane, landing in a cornfield where he died. Full Report with Photos
Summary Case Report: 46-year-old employee of an adult theater was apparently stabbed and killed during a robbery attempt at the theater. A suspect was arrested and trial is pending. No other information is available at present.
Summary Case Report: 21-year-old maid at an inner-city motel was found murdered in one of the motel rooms. This happened in the morning. There were no witnesses. She was a recent immigrant from Bosnia. Details are few at this point. The motel was adjacent to an interstate highway.
Summary Case Report: 60-year-old farmer's helper was using an older AC, narrow-front tractor to mow grass at a friend's farm. He was mowing the driveway to the farm, going around a culvert, when the tractor rolled over on top of him. He suffered crushing chest injuries and was dead at the scene. The tractor had no ROPS. The ditch was only five feet deep. He was very experienced and friends are puzzled why he drove parallel to the driveway.
Summary Case Report: 33-year-old sales representative for a trade show display company was working alone in a downtown showroom for the company. She was found dead from multiple stab wounds to the chest. No evidence of robbery, sexual assault, or forced entry. She did not call for help, for security police were nearby. Police are still searching for clues. She worked in this office once or twice per week.
Summary Case Report: 71-year-old cattle farmer was using an older narrow-front tractor with loader to feed cattle at his farm. While driving near the top edge of an earthen silage pit, the right rear wheel fell into the corner of the pit and the tractor overturned into the pit area, which was 7 1/2 feet deep. He was thrown from the tractor, not pinned under it, and suffered fatal chest injuries. He had history of advanced heart disease. No ROPS were on the tractor.
Summary Case Report: 69-year-old farmer was driving a tractor pulling a grain wagon. He was turning around in his farmyard positioning the wagon to fill it with grain from an auger next to a grain bin. The wagon caught and dragged the auger causing it to fall over. The auger hit another bin, then hit the farmer in the head, knocking him off the tractor. He was killed instantly from head injuries. No ROPS or cab were on the tractor.
Summary Case Report: 41-year-old motorcycle mechanic was test driving a new motorcycle as part of his work duties. He was driving in the right lane of a typical 4-lane street in town and was passing a semi trailer who was going the same direction in the left lane. The truck was making a wide right turn and turned in front of the motorcycle which skidded and became pinned under the trailer. Victim wore no helmet and died of head injuries.
Summary Case Report: 49-year-old plumber and operator of a backhoe was working alone placing sewer pipe for a house. He was working in the bottom of an eight foot trench when the sides caved in and buried him. He died from asphyxiation and multiple rib fractures. He was dead at the scene.
Summary Case Report: 63-year-old farmer and banker was mowing a roadside ditch using an older narrow-front tractor with an attached belly mower. He was driving north in the eastern ditch cutting grass on an embankment. He went too far up the slope and overturned the tractor on himself, causing crushing chest injuries. He was dead at the scene. He had mowed this section of ditch many times previously. No ROPS were on the tractor.
Summary Case Report: 76-year-old male semi-truck driver had just finished having supper at a truck stop, then while driving his rig north on a state highway, he crossed the centerline and went into the opposite ditch. He suffered multiple chest and head injuries and died at the scene. Although he had a history of heart disease, autopsy revealed no evidence of heart involvement. The cause of this accident is under investigation.
Summary Case Report: 59-year-old semi-trailer driver was driving on an interstate highway early in the morning when he left the road and entered the right hand ditch and collided with a bridge overpass. He was killed instantly, and his tractor-trailer was totally demolished. He apparently fell asleep at the wheel, for his daily logs were not accurate. There was no evidence of a contributing medical condition, nor use of alcohol.
Summary Case Report: 34-year-old man was helping a friend chop and store fresh silage on a farm. He was driving a tractor helping to pack down the silage. He drove the tractor up a steep side of the pile and the tractor overturned backwards crushing the man underneath. The tractor did not have a ROPS. The victim was warned that the pile was getting too steep just moments before the overturn.
Summary Case Report: 22-year-old plumber's apprentice was installing new sewer plumbing at a new residential construction site. They had dug an 8-foot trench outside the house and the victim jumped to the bottom of the trench. The walls caved in and buried him. He was rescued within ten minutes, but suffered anoxic brain damage. Company stated they did not have time to shore up the sides--they were going to work on it the next day.
Summary Case Report: 46-year-old draftsman for an electronics company was helping his dad by cutting firewood at his farm. He was working alone using a tractor cutting trees on a steep wooded hillside. The tractor had a wide front and no ROPS. He was driving up a steep hill pulling a log with a log chain when the tractor overturned backwards crushing the man underneath. The chain was attached to the draw bar of the tractor.
Summary Case Report: 37-year-old female social worker was driving a state vehicle, a Ford station wagon, returning from a foster-care visit. She was traveling south on a state highway and lost control of her car on the ice and snow-covered road. She was hit broadside by a northbound vehicle. She suffered chest injuries from the steering wheel. She was not wearing a seat belt--only the passive shoulder harness. Air bags were inflated.
Summary Case Report: 47-year-old farmer was driving a tractor down a 15-foot wide grass path between farm fields. It was a wide front tractor without ROPS. He was pulling a sprayer behind him, and was holding a wand, spraying weeds along the path. His wheels veered off the path and the tractor rolled down a steep embankment crushing the man as it rolled. The tractor rolled 1 1/2 times. The ditch was 8-10 feet deep.
Summary Case Report: 43-year-old self-employed trucker was driving his semi-tractor down a state highway. He came into a curve too fast, crossed the centerline, and went into the opposite ditch rolling the tractor completely over, landing on its wheels. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and received multiple traumatic chest and abdominal injuries and was dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt. He was legally intoxicated.
Summary Case Report: 27-year-old worker at a commercial hog confinement operation was working alone repairing a safety door on a manure transport tank. He accidentally dropped a wrench through a hatch on top the tank, and climbed into the tank to retrieve it. The tank was empty of manure but full of strong fumes. He was found dead inside the tank. Firemen used supplied air packs to enter the tank.
Summary Case Report: 72-year-old man was cutting I-beams in a scrap iron yard using a propane and liquid oxygen torch. He was working alone. He accidentally burnt through the hoses and the resulting fireball caught his clothes on fire. He rolled in a mud puddle to put out the flames. He drove to a hospital, was flown to another hospital, where he died that night. He was wearing a polyester-type snowmobile suit.
Summary Case Report: 62-year-old farmer and co-owner of a seed corn business was driving a 175 cc. motorcycle down a county road to check crops. A large dog ran out and collided with the motorcycle, sending the man over the handlebars, and he received fatal head injuries when he hit the road. He was not wearing a helmet. The dog also died.
Summary Case Report: 22-year-old iron worker was driving a forklift carrying sheet metal panels on a jobsite. His brother was riding the machine, hanging onto the side. The victim raised the load and contacted 7200 volt power lines. The brother jumped off the machine and was OK. The victim got stuck trying to jump, his brother yanked him away from machine and both were then shocked. The brother received non-fatal electrical injuries.
Summary Case Report: 72-year-old farmer was driving an older straight grain truck on a hard-surfaced county road. He turned left onto another county road, took the curve too wide, entered the right hand ditch, and overturned on the truck's side. The gas tank ruptured and a fire started. The man tried to escape through the driver's window, but was unable to get out. He fell back into the cab and was burned to death.
Summary Case Report: 36-year-old semi-trailer driver was making a turn from one interstate highway to another. While on the cloverleaf turn, he was moving too fast and entered the right-hand ditch and flipped over. The driver was pinned inside the cab and died at the scene from asphyxiation.
Summary Case Report: 36-year-old worker at a farm seed company was inside a grain bin in process of emptying the bin of grain. The man's pant leg got caught in the auger, and it spun him around 6-7 times before it was shut off. Each time around the man's head hit the concrete wall or floor causing fatal head injuries. He was air-lifted to a regional hospital, but died later that day.
Summary Case Report: 58-year-old farmer was helping his son load calves into a truck. He was standing behind a metal gate when one of the animals bolted against the gate, causing it to hit the man in the face, and knocking him backwards. He was thrown onto a concrete slab and received multiple fractures around his face and head. He developed massive subarachnoid hemorrhage and died one week later in the hospital.
Summary Case Report: 38-year-old deputy sheriff was in process of making an arrest at a home residence. He burst through the front door of the house and immediately fell headlong down a stairway into the basement, striking his head on the floor. He suffered significant head injuries and died the next day. Officials report that routine procedures were followed during the arrest, however they are reconstructing the incident.
Summary Case Report: 79-year-old farmer was driving his narrow-front tractor down the right shoulder of a state highway. He turned left at the entrance of an implement dealer and was struck from behind by a tanker truck. The impact knocked the man off his tractor, which then was pushed on top of him. He was alive when transported by helicopter, but died later that day in the hospital.
Summary Case Report: 39-year-old hog farmer was driving a pickup truck pulling an empty livestock trailer down a county highway, returning from delivering a load of hogs to market. He was traveling westward and was making a left turn at a T-intersection, when he was hit by a tanker truck traveling eastward on that highway. The farmer died at the scene.
Summary Case Report: 58-year-old semi-truck driver was waiting for his flat-bed trailer to be loaded with a dump truck bought at an equipment auction. A truck-mounted crane was being used to load the dump truck. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the man scrambled on top of the fender of the crane and immediately fell off a distance of 8-9 feet, hitting his head on a rock in the gravel. He received massive head injuries and died the next day.
Summary Case Report: 49-year-old maintenance supervisor was helping others change electrode arms for a steel melt furnace, using a crane. One 12,000 lb. arm was blocked up for five minutes during the procedure. Apparently this blocking failed, and the arm fell down crushing the victim underneath. Another worker at the scene received a broken leg.
Summary Case Report: 80-year-old driver for an auto parts dealer was traveling west on a dry, 2-lane road, crossing a 4-lane road. He pulled into the intersection and hesitated, perhaps waiting for traffic to clear. A car traveling north tried to stop, yet struck the victim's car on the driver's side. The victim was dead at the scene from closed head and chest trauma.
Summary Case Report: 47-year-old plumber was in a company van traveling to a work site. He was on an interstate highway when his van slowly moved to the shoulder and then the van rolled over in the ditch and hit a guard rail. The driver was thrown from the van and hit his head on a wooden pillar. He was traveling 65-70 mph. and was killed instantly. Apparently the man fell asleep at the wheel.
Summary Case Report: 32-year-old truckdriver was driving an empty flatbed semi-trailer down a 2-lane state highway, when he lost control of the rig in a turn. His trailer jackknifed, crossed the center line, and hit another semi that had pulled onto the opposite shoulder. His tractor was torn to pieces and the victim was ejected and killed. Investigation proved his trailer's brakes were not functioning. No seatbelt was worn.
Summary Case Report: 71-year-old driver for a rent-a-car agency was driving a company vehicle down a 4-lane road in process of making a left turn onto another 4-lane road at a busy city intersection. While turning left on a yellow light, another car came from the opposite direction and crashed into the passenger side of the first car, killing the driver. The other car was trying to beat the yellow light, and was speeding.
Summary Case Report: 29-year-old concrete finisher was working at a manufacturing plant making slats for hog buildings. Other workers were emptying a shallow pit of hot water and oil, and had left the cover off the pit in the process. The room was open to outside cool air, which produced a cloud of steam, blocking view of the pit. The victim stepped into the hot water and received severe burns. He died 12 days later in the hospital
Summary Case Report: 41-year-old truckdriver was operating a tractor-trailer hauling a van load of parts for a manufacturing company. He entered a curve on a state highway and hit a patch of ice, slid across the road and entered a steep embankment, striking several trees until coming to rest. The driver was wearing his seatbelt but received multiple blunt injuries in the accident and was pinned in his cab.
Summary Case Report: 39-year-old handyman was working with a partner to replace a roof. He was on top a 2-story house while the helper was preparing plywood on the ground. The victim decided to come down for some reason, and stepped off the roof onto an aluminum ladder extended to 35 feet. The ladder slipped to the side (not secured to house), and the man fell 35 feet hitting a concrete sidewalk, suffering massive head injuries.
Summary Case Report: 41-year-old hog farmer was scraping manure from a concrete slab in his hog lot using a hand-held scraper. He apparently slipped in the manure falling backwards and hit his head on the concrete. He was found dead two hours later by his wife. The work boots of the farmer did not appear to have a traction-type sole on them. An autopsy confirmed that he died of blunt trauma to the head.
Summary Case Report: 70-year-old farmer was doing chores at his son's farm. He was working alone on a hay mound in a barn when he apparently fell off and hit his head on the concrete floor. He was found dead with a broken neck and scalp lacerations. Autopsy failed to find cardiac, CVA, or other causes for this accident, and the official cause of death is a fractured cervical spine from a fall.
Summary Case Report: 50-year-old farmer was driving a 4-wheeler out in his fields to check cattle. It was dark and rainy weather. He was traveling over rough and slippery terrain and overturned the machine on a slope. The 4- wheeler landed on top of the farmer and crushed his chest. He was found dead a few hours later.
Summary Case Report: 42 year old female child care provider was found stabbed to death in her home and place of business. There were no eyewitnesses, and no suspects in the case.
Summary Case Report: 69-year-old farmer was working alone cutting down trees in a ditch. It was 2-3 hours since he was last seen by family members. They found him next to a forked elm tree that he had just cut. Apparently, the limb kicked to the side and hit him in the head, for there was a large bruise on one side of his head. He was found dead at the scene. No autopsy was performed.
Summary Case Report: 18-year-old laborer in a livestock facility was in the back of a livestock trailer directing the driver as they were backing it up against an open box trailer, which was full of wood shavings. They were planning to transfer the shavings from the one trailer to the next. As the trailers came together, the victim was caught between them and received massive and fatal head injuries.
Summary Case Report: 17-year-old female was helping her stepfather's trenching business by driving an old 3-ton truck delivering parts and supplies. She was on a state highway turning right onto a gravel road. She took the corner too fast, and slid sideways in the gravel, hitting a stop sign, which knocked the driver's door open, ejecting her into a ditch. The truck followed and rolled over on top of her. Truck brakes/tires were good.
Summary Case Report: 27-year-old farmer was driving a passenger car down a gravel road, having just taken a worker to a field nearby. The car was towing an empty car trailer. Over a hill, he encountered a pickup truck going in the opposite direction in his lane. They both swerved to the opposite side and collided head-on. The farmer was killed instantly from head trauma and internal injuries.
Summary Case Report: 65-year-old farmer was driving a 1967 wide front tractor down a gravel road when his left front tire came off. This caused the tractor to travel out-of-control into the left ditch. The farmer was thrown or jumped into the ditch, and the tractor rolled over completely, crushing the man under the left rear tire. The tractor had no ROPS.
Summary Case Report: 52-year-old laborer for a rural grain elevator was found injured in the railroad yard next to train tracks. His job was to oversee the loading of rail cars with grain. His multiple broken ribs and head injury indicate that he must have fallen from one of the rail cars, a distance of 12-16 feet. The man was in good physical condition, and may have simply been hitching a ride. Exact cause remains a mystery.
Summary Case Report: 63-year-old man raised horses on an acreage. He was driving an older narrow-front tractor with front-end loader, clearing snow from a farm driveway. He did not turn sharp enough into the farm lane, or drove too close to the edge of the driveway, and went over the east bank. The tractor hit a tree stump and flipped over in the ditch. He was thrown from the tractor and received fatal injuries. No ROPS.
Summary Case Report: 21 year old sanitation worker at a packing plant had been clinically depressed and was very unsatisfied with his life situation. He had suffered several recent tragedies in his life and family, and had made suicidal statements to others. He was found in a meat freezer by a co-worker--dead from a self-inflicted .22 caliber handgun wound.
Summary Case Report: 40-year-old hog farmer was found dead by his wife, pinned between the loader bucket of a skid-steer loader and rafters of a hog shed. He apparently leaned forward out of the machine, and tripped a control which raised the bucket. The engine was cold and had evidently run out of gas before it shut down. The man died from suffocation.
Summary Case Report: 83-year-old part-time farmer was repairing a sprayer mounted on the 3-point hitch of his tractor. The tractor was accidentally left in gear, rather than neutral. While the victim was standing on the ground next to the tractor, he reached and started the tractor to test the sprayer. The tractor immediately backed up and ran over him with the front wheel causing chest injuries. He died later from complications.
Summary Case Report: 46-year-old truckdriver for a cement company was directing traffic on a 2-lane road while others were loading a cat dozer onto a lowboy trailer. He was not wearing any reflective gear and was not seen by a passing motorist who hit the victim at ~45 mph. The dozer was loading the trailer from the side, and its blade entered the driver's lane. This distracted the driver who swerved left, hitting the victim.
Summary Case Report: 44-year-old female attorney for the state of Iowa court system was driving a car enroute to a court appointment. She lost control of the vehicle on a 2-lane highway and was struck by an oncoming vehicle. Cause of lost control was bad weather conditions. She died at the scene from head and closed chest injuries. 44 craniocerebral trauma and closed chest injury.
Summary Case Report: 62-year-old driver of a dumptruck for a construction company was driving his truck down a typical interstate highway when his left front tire blew out causing the truck to swerve left and enter the grass median. The man was thrown from the truck and died at the scene. No cause of the blowout was discovered, nor objects in the roadway. A functioning seatbelt was in the truck, but the man was not using it. |