Excavator pins and kills man at County Farm Park
On behalf of Grand Rapids Litigation Attorneys Blog posted in Personal Injury on Friday, December 30, 2011
On Tuesday afternoon, a man 57-year-old man from Marshall, Michigan passed away as a direct result of injuries sustained following an incident involving an excavator. The fatal accident occurred at County Farm Park in Ann Arbor on the site of the Malletts Creek restoration project where the victim was working with crews from Mead Bros. Excavating.
According to the Washtenaw County parks and recreations director, the county's water resources commissioner overseeing the project was briefed regarding the fatal accident, but he has no personal experience working with the contractor.
Shortly after 3 p.m., the director reported that he had just received word the victim didn't survive. He further stated the operator of the excavator didn't appear to see the victim when he started the machine back up after removing a rock between the tracks of the excavator. He drove right over the victim.
Ann Arbor Fire Department rescue crews arrived on scene and dug the victim out of the mud from under the excavator immediately. The Ann Arbor Battalion Chief further reported that the weight of the machine pushed the victim two feet into the ground. He explained that, due to the risk for causing further injuries during the rescue, firefighters had to use their hands to dig the victim out of the dirt.
A team of three firefighters, as well as six additional who were called to the accident, carried the victim up a 60-degree grade hill following carrying him through thorny underbrush.
The director reported that the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration as well as the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office investigated the scene. A spokesman for the sheriff's office said it appears to be a tragic accident at this time.
Source Title: AnnArbor.com "Man dies after being pinned by excavator at County Farm Park," Paula Gardner, Dec. 20, 2011
