Work accident kills Piedmont man

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH ~ Daily American Republic

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- A Piedmont man died Thursday after a piece of heavy equipment he was operating overturned onto him.

Clinton Gary Million, 38, died at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, where he was taken after the accident that occurred at German's Recycling Center on Highway 34 east of Piedmont, according to Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch.

Chief deputy Brant Fitzwater and members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Piedmont Police and Piedmont Rural Fire Department responded to the accident at 10:26 a.m., Finch said.

Million, he said, was pinned from the shoulders down under a Bobcat on the recycling center's parking lot. Finch said Million had been using the Bobcat to unload a trailer.

"He was alive, alert; he actually yelled for help [and] was alive after [the Bobcat] fell on him," said Finch, who described the parking lot as being "pretty well level."

Million was trapped for about 10 minutes as a track hoe was used to raise the Bobcat off him, Finch said.

Finch said Million was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.