Roller operator killed when road gives way during paving job in Illinois

Rescue personnel work near where the road gave way.Rescue personnel work near where the road gave way.

A roller operator was killed when his machine overturned last week while working on the campus of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

According to a report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 47-year-old Roger R. Kolweier was operating a roller on a repaving job at the campus Thursday afternoon when a portion of the road collapsed and caused the machine to flip.

The paper reports Kolweier attempted to jump from the machine, but was pinned under it. He died at the scene.

You can read tips on how to protect yourself or your crew in the event of a machine rollover or tip over at our Safety Watch hub.