An 80-year-old Centralia man died at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle from injuries sustained in a forklift crash on Galvin Road on Sunday.
The man’s name has not been released by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched to the crash just after 11:15 a.m. on Nov. 5.
The forklift driver had been assisting a family member on River Heights Road and was returning home when another family member who was following the forklift reported hearing “a strange noise from the forklift,” then saw the forklift driver lose control and accelerate downhill toward Galvin Road, according to the sheriff’s office.
As it neared the intersection, the forklift struck a stop sign, crossed the road and proceeded down the embankment. The forklift rolled and possibly pinned the driver, according to the sheriff’s office.
The driver suffered what initially appeared to be a broken leg and head injuries, according to the sheriff’s office. The Riverside Fire Authority responded and treated the victim before transferring him to American Medical Response, who took him to a vacant lot near Dick’s Brewing Company for air transport to Harborview, according to Riverside.
Deputies were later advised the driver was declared deceased at Harborview, according to the sheriff’s office.
Due to the fatality, Washington State Patrol assisted with investigation of the crash scene.
