Norfolk Hit for Safety Violations in Trash Truck Worker's Death

Now a state agency has found that Jerry Holton was following city policy when he opened the door leading to his truck's hopper to clear debris from a blade that compacted trash, according to a report from the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.

Holton, 51, was in the back of his Heil Formula 7000 truck when the hydraulic system engaged and crushed him to death Feb. 3, city officials have said.

The state agency has cited Norfolk for 19 serious safety violations related to an investigation into Holton's death, according to documents obtained by The Virginian-Pilot under the Freedom of Information Act. State officials said their investigation is continuing.

Eight of the violations were related to the accident, and the rest were for other issues found during the investigation.

A serious violation is one that is potentially life-threatening, said Jennifer Wester, director of cooperative programs for the Department of Labor and Industry. "It is one which could or did cause harm to an employee," she wrote in an email Tuesday.

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