PROGRESSIVE CONTRACTORS, INC.

Employee crushed and killed by backing dump truck

A crew of 45 men were repaving a two lane section of Highway 52 south near the W illow Creek Bridge. The crew was working toward the west and was just east of th e bridge. A batch plant was located nearby and several 7 yard dump trucks were u sed to haul concrete to the paver and crew. As the trucks approached from the we st, they had to turn around to back into the paver. The crew foreman instructed Employee #1 to tell the truck drivers to turn around and back into the paver. Tw o trucks are unloaded together. Employee #1 told all six or seven trucks in line to turn around. He reached the last truck and instructed the driver to back dow n the roadway about two blocks to the Y intersection of the on-ramp and Highway 52. The driver of the 1986 Mack dump truck, 7 yard capacity, checked both rear-v iew mirrors and saw nothing. Consequently, he put the truck into reverse and bac ked up. He saw a white hard hat go flying on the south side of the truck. He als o felt a bump in the roadway as if he had hit a chunk of concrete. He stopped an d went to the rear of his truck. Employee #1 had been dragged about 15 ft and wa s crushed and killed by the inner right rear wheels. The truck was equipped with an operational back-up alarm. Another truck driver, who was heading east toward the scene, said that Employee #1 was waving at him to stop and turn around. He attempted to warn the employee of the backing dump truck with his air horn and l ights, but it was too late.