Man Crushed to Death Between Cement Trucks

A 54-year-old Palmdale man was crushed to death Friday when an unattended cement truck rolled into him and pinned him against another cement truck, a spokesman from the California Highway Patrol said.

Marshall Rogers, a cement-truck driver for Curtis Sand and Gravel in Canyon County, was pronounced dead at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia at 7:30 a.m. Rogers, who died from severe internal injuries, was due to retire in two weeks, a CHP officer said .

At about 6:45 a.m., Rogers parked his truck in front of a home in the 1300 block of Reservoir Avenue in Aqua Dulce where workers were adding a new room, said CHP Officer Lewis Hall.

Billy McDonald, 58, a fellow Curtis Sand driver, parked his truck behind Rogers’ while he prepared to unload cement at the back of his truck. McDonald got out of the vehicle and left it running without setting the parking break, Hall said.

Rogers’ back was turned to McDonald’s truck when it began to roll, Hall said. One of the workers saw the rolling truck and shouted to Rogers, but according to Hall, it was too late for Rogers to react.

McDonald was not arrested, but Hall said a vehicular manslaughter charge may be filed after the CHP completes its investigation.

The vehicle code requires that drivers set the parking break when leaving an unattended vehicle running, Hall said.