Benton County road worker who died was operating faulty equipment

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- Findings from two investigations show a Benton County road worker who died on the job last year was operating a poorly maintained piece of leased logging equipment that was owned by his supervisor’s son.

The Gazette-Times in Corvallis reports 59-year-old Pete Neuman was using a John Deere skidder to move logs at the site of a road-building project in the Hells Canyon area of south Benton County last Aug. 9 when the vehicle rolled down a steep hillside and overturned.

Neuman was partially ejected from the 10-ton machine and died from massive head trauma when it landed on top of him.