The victim positioned the truck on the dump pad and began raising the bed, according to a report by the US Mine Safety and Health Administration.

“Material in the bed was frozen or compacted and created an uneven load,” it said.

“As the bed reached full extension, the truck fell over.”

The driver jumped from the cab suffering leg and hip injuries.

“ Due to complications associated with his injuries, the victim passed away seven days later,” MSHA said.

The administration advised truck drivers to stay in the cab when problems were encountered while operating the truck.

“Always wear a seatbelt when operating mobile equipment,” it said.

“After dumping, remove compacted material from the truck bed before more material is added.

“Assure all loads are evenly distributed.”

This is the second fatality reported in 2017 in the coal mining industry and it is classified as powered haulage.

 

As of this date in 2016, three fatalities were reported in the coal mining industry, one of them involving powered haulage.