Skidder Rolls, Kills Logger

A 23-year-old Blanchard, Idaho, man died Monday afternoon when a log skidder he was driving rolled off a hillside and crushed him.

John A. Riggs was working a logging job near Coolin in the Priest Lake area. He was driving a skidder, a piece of heavy machinery used to move logs, when it rolled down an embankment.

Bonner County authorities said it appeared the machine rolled three times, throwing Riggs out on the second tumble and crushing him as it continued down the hill.

Other workers found the skidder shortly after the 1:19 p.m. accident. They called for a medical helicopter out of Spokane, but Riggs died minutes after he was found.

Riggs was working for Shorty S. Blood Logging out of Sandpoint. He was married and had three children, twin girls age 3 and a 5-year-old daughter.

Authorities said the accident was under investigation and may be reviewed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. , DataTimes MEMO: Cut in Spokane edition