The Accident Occurred While Scott Was Transporting This Load Of Coal Up The Incline Ramp To The Coal Stockpile Area

msha.gov, Aug 25, 2005

On Wednesday, April 9, 2003, Adam Scott (victim) started his shift at approximately 3:00 p.m. at the Cottage Grove Auger Mine. The auger mine is assigned to the Cottage Grove Pit No. 2 of the Wildcat Hills Mine, ID No. 11-03017, Black Beauty Coal Company, and is located near Equality, Illinois. Scott started his shift by talking to the day shift truck driver, Tim Bowen. Two haulage trucks were used to transport coal from the auger site to the coal stockpile located at the pit entrance. As one of the trucks was loaded in the pit, the other truck would haul about 14 tons of coal to the stockpile and return to the pit.

Bowen stated that they had finished loading coal out of the last auger hole and had brought both haulage trucks into the pit area to wait for the next auger hole to be drilled. While they were waiting for the next auger hole set-up, Scott helped Bowen pump water out of the pit sump near the auger and the auger was moved to the next hole.

At approximately 4:30 p.m. Larry Bunner, Foreman/Auger Operator, started augering coal and loading coal into the Red Mack truck, Model No.R686ST. When this truck was loaded, Scott drove the truck up the No. 2 Pit incline ramp to the coal storage stockpile area and dumped the load of coal. While Scott was transporting the load of coal in the red Mack truck, Clay Mattingly, Auger Helper, positioned the blue Mack truck (accident vehicle), Serial No. 5250, under the auger conveyor. When Scott returned to the pit, he parked the red Mack truck and drove the loaded blue Mack truck to the coal storage stockpile. As Scott was driving the blue Mack truck, Mattingly positioned the red Mack truck under the auger conveyor to be loaded. Scott returned to the pit area, parked the blue Mack truck, and drove the loaded red Mack truck to the coal stockpile area. Mattingly again positioned the blue Mack truck under the conveyor to be loaded. Scott returned to the pit, parked the red Mack truck, and got into the blue Mack truck and drove this truck out of the pit area. The accident occurred while Scott was transporting this load of coal up the incline ramp to the coal stockpile area.

The No. 2 Pit incline ramp that was being used to haul coal to the stockpile area was a secondary ramp. This ramp had been constructed by the Wildcat Hills Mine personnel on the second shift of April 8, 2003. The main haulage ramp was being repaired at the top of the incline. One lane of the main haulage ramp was opened for travel on the morning of April 9, 2003. Work on the remainder of the haulage ramp was completed that day. At the time of the accident, the auger crew was still using the secondary ramp to haul coal to the coal stockpile that was located at the top of the incline ramp at the pit entrance.

While Scott was driving the loaded blue Mack truck up the incline ramp, the truck either stalled or lost traction and began rolling backward down the incline. The truck brakes were defective and would neither stop nor hold the truck on the grade. The truck traveled approximately 150 feet down the incline and rolled upon overburden material located on the right side of the ramp. Scott apparently attempted to jump from the truck and was fatally injured when he was pinned beneath the bed of the truck and covered with coal when the truck overturned.

Kit Brantley, mechanic for the Wildcat Hills Mine, was traveling down the No. 2 Pit incline, when he saw the blue Mack truck overturned near the bottom of the secondary ramp. He stopped and searched the accident area but could not locate Scott. He drove down into the auger pit area and contacted Larry Bunner and Clay Mattingly. When Brantley became aware that Scott was missing, he radioed Bobby Townsend, Second Shift Lead Man, Shannon Burnett, Second Shift Foreman, and Tommy Russell, Day Shift Lead Man, for their assistance in locating Scott. Townsend, Burnett, and Russell were all employees of the Wildcat Hills Mine. Brantley then drove back to the overturned truck. After being notified of an overturned haulage truck and a missing truck driver, Russell called Max Haney, Safety Director for the Wildcat Hills Mine, who notified the 911 command center of the accident at approximately 6:00 p.m. Haney then exited the mine office and traveled to the accident scene.

Bunner and Mattingly traveled separately in their personal vehicles from the auger pit area to the accident scene. They began digging in the spilled coal from the overturned truck attempting to locate Scott. Bunner drove back to the auger pit area to get shovels to assist in the digging. When he returned, Brantley, Townsend, Burnett, and Russell had uncovered Scott. Scott's legs were pinned under the top edge of the truck bed and he could not be moved. Bunner checked and was unable to detect vital signs. Bunner and Burnett began administering CPR to the victim. After arriving at the accident scene, Haney assisted Burnett in administering CPR to the victim.

Bunner climbed into the truck from the passenger side and shut off the truck engine. Townsend traveled to another area of the Wildcat Hills Mine and returned to the accident scene in approximately 15 minutes with a track hoe. The track hoe was used to lift the truck bed off the victim's legs. When the truck bed was raised, the victim was removed and repositioned on his back to better administer CPR.

The Saline County Ambulance Service arrived at the accident scene at approximately 6:10 p.m. and took over administering CPR to the victim. The ambulance crew consisted of Bill Wynn, Paramedic, and David Douthett, EMT. They continued CPR with no response from the victim. The victim was transported to Ferrell Hospital in Eldorado, Illinois, where he was pronounced dead at 7:02 p.m.