Hum Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 RIVERSIDE ? A 12-year-old boy died Saturday after a front-end loader rolled down a hill with three children in the bucket after the driver lost control of the steering and brakes, authorities said. Brayden Hubbard died after he bounced out of the bucket and the loader?s front tire rolled over his mid-section. The machine then crashed into a trailer, Okanogan County Undersheriff Joe Somday said. The boy, a seventh-grader at Okanogan Middle School, is credited with saving the two girls who were in the bucket with him, Somday said. ?One of the girls said Brayden pushed them back into the bucket, and his actions saved their lives,? Somday said. He declined to name the two girls. He said one suffered a compound fracture to her lower leg, and the other had only minor injuries. Both are between 10 and 12 years old, and are related to Brayden, he said. The driver, Jarod Hubbard, 30, also is related to Brayden, but Somday was not sure about their precise relationship. Brayden?s parents are Jennifer Hubbard, 32, of Riverside, and Tim Edwards, 37, of Omak. The accident occurred in the 100 block of Hubbard Road, just before 12:30 p.m. Somday said according to a deputy?s investigation, the three children had been asking Hubbard to ride on the loader, and he finally agreed, allowing them to ride in the bucket, which was in the down position. Hubbard had been moving rocks, but there were no rocks in the bucket when the children were inside, he said. While he was driving, the loader lost power, and he was unable to stop or steer when the loader began to roll down a hill. The loader hit a roll of wire, and then came where a small turnaround had been cut into the hillside, and went over the three-foot edge, he said. The loader left a gouge in the dirt where it hit the ground, and crashed into the generator on a trailer, bringing it to a stop. One of the witnesses told deputies that Hubbard was struggling to steer the heavy equipment, but couldn?t. Some family members witnessed the fatal accident, he said, but he wasn?t sure if any parents of the children saw the accident. He said Brayden?s mother and parents of the other two children were at the scene. Brayden was taken by ambulance to Mid-Valley Hospital in Omak, where he died as they were preparing to airlift him to a major trauma center. Somday said the loader has hydrostatic control, so when it lost power, the brakes and steering wouldn?t work. source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Warwagon MVC Posted November 8, 2011 MVC Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'm surprised he stayed alive long enough to make it to the hospital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacer Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 It's a terrible thing to lose a child, especially in such a horrific manner. But I have to wonder the thought-process of the adult involved. Regardless of how much the children pestered him to ride the loader, there is no excuse for agreeing to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charisma Veteran Posted November 8, 2011 Veteran Share Posted November 8, 2011 It's a terrible thing to lose a child, especially in such a horrific manner. But I have to wonder the thought-process of the adult involved. Regardless of how much the children pestered him to ride the loader, there is no excuse for agreeing to it. Maybe so, but these things happen... they usually don't end in tragedy. Poor kid, good on him for his quick thinking though. The adult here will of course feel terrible for the rest of his life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detection Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Very sad, but stories like this make me wonder if there is such a thing as an accident... I mean what are the chances, the kids had been asking him for a while to ride in it, "eventually" he agreed and that exact time it all went wrong ? Final destination Same with that massive pile up on the motorway here in the UK the other day... 34 vehicles?.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahhell Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Just another case of people being stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 I guess this is why they put stickers on machinery, 'no riders', 'no children'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiddle Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Just another case of people being stupid. I guess this is why they put stickers on machinery, 'no riders', 'no children'. Somewhat true, and true. Though, being around this type of equipment (excavators, front-end loaders, skidsteers) a lot of my life, I will tell you I, well, we have done some stupid/fun things (my favorite being, sitting in a car, while the excavator lifted me up and dropped me onto a steep hill from about 20 feet up :p.) Sounds borderline insane to do, but at the time, you don't think about accidents like this, just some lighthearted fun. It is sad when accidents do happen though. The man can't be blamed, as I would not want my stepfather blamed had I died in that drop, or during any of the other off-the-wall things we have done. It does suck he will have to live with it, though. RIP to the boy. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahhell Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 The man can't be blamed, WTF? He SHOULD be blamed for this. It was his stupidity that caused the whole thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tender Foot Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 He should/could have lowered the bucket and it would slowed/stopped the loader, even without power there is enough pressure in the hydraulic lines to lower the bucket, though still a hard call to make when three kids are in the bucket! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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