At approximately 7:55 a.m., on Thursday, May 21, 2009, Jeremy L. Stewart, a 32-year old superintendent/equipment operator for J&A Mining, Inc, received fatal injuries when the Caterpillar (Cat) 773B rock truck, which he was operating, traveled over the edge of the spoil dump. The truck overturned length-wise onto its top, at the base of the spoil dump, approximately 63 feet below. Stewart had approximately 13 years mining experience in operating equipment, 11 months at this mine. Stewart was in the process of backing the loaded truck to the edge of the spoil dump in order to dump rock hauled from the pit, located approximately 1200 feet away. The accident occurred during Stewart's first load of the shift. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident.
The accident occurred because the driver did not maintain full control of the truck while it was in motion, an adequate berm was not provided at the dumping location to prevent overtravel of the truck, steepness of the ramp approaching the end of the dump, limited visibility, and an adequate examination for hazardous conditions at the dump site had not been performed by a certified person.
Fatality #6 - May 21, 2009
COAL MINE FATALITY - On May 21, 2009, a 32-year old foreman/truck driver with 15 years of experience was fatally injured when the loaded rock truck he was operating traveled over the edge of a dump site. The truck rolled over, landed on its top at the toe of an approximate 60-feet high slope, and crushed the cab.