Truck Driver Killed in a Freak Accident

A 46-year-old truck driver was killed at Hearne Produce Farms today after a metal boom attached to the fertilizer tank he was hauling came in contact with a live wire, according to a Manatee County Sheriff's report.

Fernando Melechor of Wimauma didn't realize that the boom had hit a live wire and was electrocuted this afternoon when he stepped out of the truck, according to the report. Several farm workers nearby tried to help Melechor but it was too late. The incident appears to be an accident.

Melechor was driving a tractor with a fertilizer tank attached for delivery to the farm. The tank had two metal booms and one of them was in the raised position when it came in contact with a live electrical wire.

The Sheriff's Office has reported the accident to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), according to Dave Bristow, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office.  The federal agency is expected to investigate.