JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A contract dump truck driver was killed Tuesday morning after being run over by a front-end loader at an asphalt facility on Jacksonville’s Northside, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Officers responded around 11 a.m. to the Preferred Materials Inc. asphalt plant on New Berlin Road after reports of a traffic incident. Upon arrival, they found an adult male who appeared to have been run over by a piece of heavy equipment. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to the scene and pronounced the man dead.
JSO says the victim was approximately 60 years old. He was not an employee of the facility but was there as a contract dump truck driver making an asphalt pickup.
What happened
Detectives from the JSO Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit responded to investigate. Based on preliminary interviews and video surveillance — gathered from both the facility and cameras mounted on trucks at the scene — investigators believe the victim approached the front of a moving front-end loader.
“The position of the bucket was such that the driver was unable to see the victim,” said Sgt. Highfill of the JSO Homicide Unit.
The front-end loader’s driver, an employee of the facility, was not aware he had struck the man until he turned the equipment around and returned to the area.
“The driver wasn’t even aware that he had run over the individual until he turned the tractor around and came back — and that’s when he saw it,” Highfill said. “So, it’s just a tragic accident at this point.”
Investigation ongoing
JSO is classifying the incident as an industrial accident, and investigators say it does not appear to pose any danger to the public.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also responded and conducted its own independent investigation.
Highfill said investigators will continue to review all available video footage.
“At this point, it does not appear that [it could have been avoided], but we will continue to investigate and comb over the video to see if there was any way that this could have been avoided,” he said.
Family notified
Investigators spoke with the victim’s family at the scene. Highfill offered condolences during the news conference.
“They are suffering at this time,” he said. “This doesn’t appear to be anybody’s fault — just a tragic accident. And these kinds of things happen from time to time, and it doesn’t bring them any solace. But we are praying for him.”
Preferred Materials Inc. released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying, “We are deeply saddened to confirm that an accident occurred this morning at the Preferred Materials asphalt plant in Jacksonville, Florida. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time. The safety and well-being of our employees and anyone coming into contact with our operations are our highest priority. We are working closely with the authorities to support their investigation.”