Teen Laborer Rides on Side of Forklift, Falls While Jumping, and is Run Over by Rear Tire

SUMMARY

At approximately 4:50 pm on Tuesday, November 4, 2015, a 17-year-old teen laborer (the victim) and another 19-year-old laborer were at the end of their 8- hour work day at an agricultural distribution center and were storing a rough terrain JCB 930 forklift in a gated parking lot for the day. The 19 year-old laborer was operating the forklift when he offered the victim a ride to the storage area. The victim climbed onto the side step of the forklift, which was not designed to accommodate passengers, and held on to the forklift frame. As they neared the gated lot, the victim volunteered to open the gate. Jumping from the forklift while it was moving, the victim’s foot caught in the forklift’s back wheel guard, and he fell face first to the dirt lot. Unaware that the victim had fallen, the second laborer continued driving the forklift forward until he realized the back left tire had tread onto the victim. The second laborer immediately rolled the forklift back off of the victim. A customer, who was also a physician, heard the forklift driver’s screams for help and ran to offer assistance. The physician ordered the employees not to move the victim while a third laborer at the distribution center immediately contacted 911. Emergency medical services arrived at the scene within 15 minutes and called air transport. The victim was air transported and arrived at a major trauma center at
6:15 pm. He died from his injuries at 6:52 pm.

Teen Laborer Rides on Side of Forklift, Falls While Jumping, and is Run Over by Rear Tire, Kentucky [PDF 367 KB]