Loading and unloading cargo can be dangerous for many different reasons. Loads can shift, cargo can cause injury, or others simply walking or driving into a work area can create hazards for workers just trying to do their job. Last month, a Los Angeles forklift driver making delivery of live poultry was struck and killed while on the job in Pacoima.
KTLA in Los Angeles reported that on Sunday, March 31st at approximately 1:00 a.m. a man in his 60’s was transporting his cargo of live chickens from one side of the road to the other. During the unloading and delivery process, the forklift driver was struck and killed by a driver in a blue Hyundai SUV.
Law enforcement officers and fire department crews responded to the crash near Foothills and Van Nuys Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley. Authorities say that the driver of the SUV did not see the forklift or the operator when he hit and drug him approximately 35 feet before the driver was able to stop his vehicle.
The forklift driver was declared dead at the scene. So far authorities have not released his identity pending notification of family.
Investigators say that the driver of the SUV is fully cooperating with its efforts to determine the cause of the accident. It has not yet been determined whether impairment or speed played any role in the fatal crash.
Because the accident happened in the workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will also be sending investigators to the site.