Firm Fined $1,000 in Driver’s Death

Matson Terminals Inc. has been fined $1,000 for violating federal job safety laws after a truck driver was crushed to death last month by a shipping container at its Terminal Island facility.

Leslie W. Michael, director of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration office in Long Beach, said Matson was cited for the failure of a crane operator to properly engage so-called “J” hooks used to lift containers.

Michael said the failure allowed the 40-foot shipping container to drop onto the truck cab, killing Michael Gomez, 27, of Montebello.

Sloan White, senior counsel for Matson Navigation Co., parent company of Matson Terminals, said no decision has been made on whether to contest OSHA’s citation and fine. “We are still in the process of investigating exactly what the cause of the accident was,” White said.