Emergency crews were called to a truck yard in Southern California Wednesday afternoon after a man was found wedged between two big rigs. Authorities do not know how long the man was trapped before he was found. When emergency crews arrived at the scene, San Diego Fire-Rescue personnel say that the worker had a faint pulse.
Officials say that the man was fixing tires on a big rig at the Mex-Cal truck yards in Otay Mesa. He was located between two trailers when the jack lifting the trailer he was working on apparently shifted. Investigators believe that the rig the man was working on fell of the jack, pinning the man. The scene remained unstable as crews sought to attempt a rescue. Unfortunately, the man passed away before crews could free him from between the two trucks.
Firefighters used a forklift to move the trailer in their recovery effort, a battalion chief with San Diego Fire-Rescue told NBC San Diego. Few details about the fatal workplace accident are yet known. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is conducting an investigation into the industrial accident. Officials have only said that the accident victim was in his 50s.
Whenever a worker is killed on the job, the event can be devastating for co-workers, friends, and especially the family of the accident victim. Families filled with grief may be blind-sided by such a tragedy. In the event of a fatal accident, families may not know where to turn, or what rights may exist. Legal counsel familiar with workplace tragedies may be able to assist families in managing difficult issues at such a horrible time.
Source: NBC San Diego, “Man Fixing Tires Dies Between 2 Trailers,” Candice Nguyen and Monica Garske, Jan. 22, 2014
