Mechanic at mine died trying to help driver with trailer

FAIRVIEW, W.Va. (AP) — A mechanic at a West Virginia mine was killed while trying to help a truck driver position a trailer, an investigation into the death found.

James Campbell, 50, was working at the Federal No. 2 coal mine in Fairview on Feb. 27 when he was hit by the trailer and died at a hospital, according to a preliminary accident report from the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Campbell was standing in front of the trailer wheels when the truck driver moved it forward and caused the wheels to hit him, the report said.

In the report, the federal agency highlighted the importance of communication. It said best practices include communicating planned movements and verifying the information was received and understood, sounding a horn before moving and wearing high visibility clothing when working around mobile equipment.

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Kassie Simmons
Kassie Simmons joined the team in January 2019 as a weekend journalist. She graduated from Virginia Tech in just two and a half years with a BA in multimedia journalism. During her short time at Virginia Tech, she served as the editor for the university’s chapter of The Tab. Kassie was named the top reporter for The Tab at Virginia Tech on multiple occasions and made the list for the top 30 reporters for The Tab in the U.S. She also studied theater performance and minored in creative writing. Before coming to WOAY, Kassie interned at WSLS in Roanoke and the Tidewater Review in her hometown of West Point, Va. She has loved following breaking news since her childhood and has a passion for delivering the stories people care most about. Kassie is excited to be working in Southern West Virginia and looks forward to all the adventures ahead of her. You can follow her on Twitter at @KassieLSimmons and like her page on Facebook. If you have a story you think she should check out, send her an email at ksimmons@woay.com.