Snow Removal Death

[von-mil]

I heard about this on the local news today. The unfortunate man was pinned between his steering column and a garage door overhang while backing up.

The link - Snow death: Man removing snow with front end loader killed in Newburg - WITI

 

[CurlyDave]

The most important part of the story:

The Washington county Sheriff's Department says the front end loader had no brakes, and those who drove it used the shovel to stop it.

 

[Mousefield]

There are accidents and then there are ???, sadly a life was lost.

 

[Mike_Kanzer]

Sad story - bad way to go.
Here in the philadelphia area there has been a huge number of cardiac events and deaths due to people trying to shovel the huge amounts of wet snow.

 

[IH3444]

The reporter said the loader had no brakes. Operators used the bucket as the brake. The ice/snow on drive most likely didn'r offer the usual resistance need to stop the loader. What a sad story, and terrible death for such a wonderful person.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

Sad but very preventable...

 

[Renze]

When you're used to no brakes, it isnt more dangerous than WITH brakes, if the conditions are all foreseeable. Just like driving 50 can be as dangerous as driving 150. Just when the unforeseen occurs, you dont have any time to respond to it. But in real life, conditions are never forseeable, so yes it is dangerous.

I am not saying that carefull driving is a substitute for functional brakes, but its so easy to call a dead man stupid...

p.s. i used to drive a lot on a tractor with no brakes... I dont want that now anymore because my brother next door, nowadays has 2 kids that run around the barns...

 

[Thomas]

What a shame.

 

[Jaylegger]

Sincere condolences to the family.

For anyone to condone the operation of a piece of equipment, such as that involved in this tragic accident, without brakes is absolutely mind boggling. The owner of this piece of equipment and anyone who operated this equipment without taking the necessary steps to ensure the brakes were operational is complicitly negligent let alone quilty of a very stupid act (ie: One tending to make poor decisions or careless mistakes). Ownership of such a machine brings with it a certain level of responsibility some of which includes a minimum level training and sense to ensure safe operation both of which were sorely disregarded in this situation.

 

[lawn_king]

Very sad indeed! No brakes, bad plan. Sooner or later something real ugly is going to happen! 10 years ago, a long time business associate of ours was moving his BIG michigan loader about 2 miles to relocate snow, he was behind the loader in his bronco. The loader operator called him on the radio to report full brake failure going down a slight hill to a red light and traffic! He was able to get in front of the loader with the bronco and stop it using the broncos brakes, the back of the bronco was destroyed but no one got hurt!!!!!