A log truck driver was killed Wednesday, July 27, outside of Lyons when a log rolled off his truck as he attempted to tighten his load.
Linn County Sheriff Bruce Riley said his deputies were investigating a fatal logging accident reported Wednesday at 11:52 a.m. The accident occurred near milepost 14 of U.S. Plywood Mainline off of Trask Road, outside of Lyons. This property is owned by Weyerhaeuser Columbia Timberlands and is currently being logged by Ridgeway Logging, Inc. of Sweet Home.
The victim, Jerry Dean Sramek, 55, of Salem, was a contracted independent truck driver and and was en route to a mill with logs he had loaded at the logging site.
Sramek was discovered by Brent Richmond, another truck driver, traveling the same route at about 11:26 a.m.
According to Riley, an investigation revealed that Sramek stopped to re-secure his load on the trailer approximately four miles away from the landing site where he was loaded.
When he undid the forward chain, a log approximately 20 feet long and 10 inches in diameter fell from the top of his trailer onto Sramek causing fatal head and neck injuries.
Sramek was found to be wearing the proper protective equipment, Riley said.
Weddle’s funeral home of Stayton responded and removed the body from the scene.