Investigators Test Locomotive Involved in West Virginia Mine Fatality

Government experts are examining a locomotive involved in a fatal accident at a West Virginia coal mine on June 5.

Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training spokeswoman Jama Jarrett says the state is testing the locomotive for electrical or mechanical problems.

Investigators believe 55-year-old Gary Hoffman was killed when he was thrown or jumped from the locomotive at Pittsburgh-based Consol Energy’s Robinson Run No. 95 in Harrison County, W.Va.

A preliminary report by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration says the locomotive derailed and traveled about 175 feet before stopping. Hoffman was found lying between the mine’s track and a wall.

Hoffman was the fourth West Virginia coal miner killed on the job this year and the 14th in the U.S.
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Information from: The Exponent Telegram, http://www.cpubco.com