According to preliminary details from a US Mine Safety and Health Administration report, 59-year-old Larry Schwartz was killed at about 2.20pm Friday afternoon at Five Star Mining’s Prosperity operation in Petersburg, Pike County.

According to the report, Schwartz was pinned between a shuttle car and the rib on the blind side of the unit in what appears to be a case of miscommunication.

“The victim proceeded by the car [following a brief conversation with its operator] and walked straight into the next crosscut between entries 7 and 8, thinking that the car driver would turn down entry 7 to go around the pillar,” MSHA inspectors said.

“The victim told the car driver that he was in the clear … [but] the car driver did not turn down entry No. 7 as the victim thought but continued forward through the crosscut between entries 7 and 8.

“The shuttle car pinned the victim between the car and the coal rib on the blind side of the shuttle car.”

While federal databases are not being updated, records did reveal the mine had recorded 25 non-fatal days lost operator injuries and 2 NFDL contractor injuries through the second quarter. In 2012, it reported 20 NFDL operator injuries and 7 NFDL contractor injuries.

The fatal incident is the fourth in 15 days in US coal.

The US government shutdown that began October 1 resulted in the furlough of more than half the MSHA staffers nationwide and the idling of regular inspections. Only impact inspections are being conducted at the moment.

According to records, the Prosperity mine is on the agency’s target list.