The truck driver had just left the pit and was en route to a load-out facility. After the truck driver negotiated a curve on a slight downgrade, he apparently lost control of the vehicle. The truck left the haulage road, crossed the ditch line, and traveled up the adjacent hillside and overturned. The truck driver either jumped or was thrown from the vehicle and was crushed beneath the driver's side of the truck bed and the haulage road.
Initial indications are that the truck engine stalled, leading to the loss of steering control.
Also, the truck's braking capability was substandard. Damage to the truck was minimal. Equipment operators should always wear seat belts. In the event of a runaway vehicle, the best chance for reduced injury is for the operator to stay in the vehicle. This is the tenth fatality reported in calendar year 1998 in the coal mining industry.