Fatality #13 - October 9, 2009

At approximately 8:30 a.m. on October 9, 2009, Darrell T. Seiber (victim), a 48-year old truck driver for Cox Trucking, with 21 days of experience at this mine, was fatally injured while operating a loaded DM-886SX Mack tandem axle coal truck. The truck accident occurred along the National Coal Corporation, Mine 5A, underground mine haul road. Seiber lost control of the overloaded truck causing the truck to leave the roadway, traveling into the left side drainage ditch, striking the embankment and a small poplar tree, then over turning. Seiber apparently attempted to jump or was thrown from the truck. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. The accident occurred because the contractor and mine operator failed to make certain that defects affecting safety were corrected before the truck was put in service. Failure of the contractor and mine operator to assure the driver maintained control of the overloaded truck while descending the mine haul road also contributed to the accident. The victim was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. The contractor failed to ensure that the victim had received required training.