Excavator operator escapes injury
CALIFORNIA – A man working on the demolition of Clyde Hall on the California University of Pennsylvania campus escaped injury Thursday when the excavator he was operating flipped onto its side. Excavator operator Wayne Mellinger of Cleveland survived the accident without a scratch, according to Jerry Ward, the site foreman who is also from Cleveland
Washington County 911 received a call around 4:10 p.m. about a piece of construction equipment that had rolled over. An emergency medical helicopter initially was called as a precaution, but it ended up that no medical treatment was required.
“We were all done wrecking and were taking (the excavator) out to the parking lot to take it apart, and he found a soft spot and flipped it over,” Ward said.
He said the excavator is a demonstration model with extra reinforcement around the grill and windows, offering the operator protection even thought he vehicle flipped onto its left side, the same side where the operator’s cab is located. Ward said Mellinger was able to get out of the vehicle on his own, exiting through one of the windows.
Although Mellinger was up and walking around after the accident, the excavator remained firmly on its side, the boom for its shovel stretched out in front of it on the remains of Clyde Hall.
Ward said he wasn’t exactly sure how crews were going to remove the vehicle from the site.
“That’s a good question. We’re still scratching our heads on that one. We have to take it apart somehow,” he said.