Loader Falls On, Crushes Worker In Los Angeles, Firefighters Say

LOS ANGELES — A worker died Tuesday after a loader he was unloading off a vehicle fell and crushed him in Los Angeles, firefighters said.

The worker, whose name wasn't immediately released, remained trapped beneath and fatally injured by the skid-steer loader, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. He was reportedly trying to unload it from a vehicle when it fell on him.

The death happened on 81st Street, near South Normandie Avenue, in South Los Angeles, firefighters said.

No one else was hurt.

Skid steer loaders are compact and easily maneuverable. They're so-called as they “skid” around corners, and are used in digging, grading, leveling and demolition operations, as well as in brush cleaning and snow removal. They're relatively small pieces of heavy equipment with two hydraulic lifting arms on each side.