1 KILLED, 1 INJURED AT U.S. BORAX PLANT : TRACTOR TIRE EXPLODED AS PAIR WAS REMOVING IT.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

A four-ton tire and rim off a large front-end loader tractor exploded at the U.S Borax plant, killing an employee of a Minnesota company and injuring a co-worker, officials said Monday.

Killed was Quinn Richardson, 34, of Goodland, Minn., who along with the co-worker was taking apart a tire and rim shortly after noon Sunday in order to dismantle the vehicle for transport back to Minnesota, officials said.

``They tried to take a cutting torch to take off the remaining bolts (off the tire rim),'' said Jim Malouf, Kern County chief coroner investigator. ``The rim separates and explodes in an outward motion. It hits the victim and sends him a distance of about 15 feet. Probably the rim and tire hit him.''

Injured in the accident was Peter Martin, also of Minnesota, who was taken by helicopter to San Bernardino County Medical Center, Malouf said.

Hospital officials said they had no record of someone by that name there, and said Martin possibly had been treated and released.

Both men were employees of a company called Dom-Ex Inc. based in Hibbing, Minn. The company had purchased the tractor from U.S. Borax, Malouf said.

Malouf said the giant rims of the vehicle are split in the center and bolted together. Richardson and Martin were removing the bolts from the rim but had not deflated the tire, Malouf said.