Colstrip Miner Dies in Truck Accident

An investigation began Saturday around 5 p.m. into the circumstances surrounding the death of an employee at the Westmoreland Coal Company mine in Colstrip.  The employee’s name was not made available, but the Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office confirmed he was a resident of Colstrip.  KTVQ.com reports that although an official cause of death has yet to be declared, an employee at the Rosebud Mine told Q2 the man was operating a 100-ton haul truck when it fell off of a 100-foot ledge.

A statement from the Westmoreland Coal Company confirmed he died in a “tragic truck accident at the Rosebud Mine” on Saturday.  The Mine Safety and Health Administration is currently investigating the cause of the accident.  A rescue team reportedly had to rappel down to retrieve the man’s body.  Operations in the vicinity of the incident have been suspended.