Truck driver dies while working on trailer.

Byline: Jack Moran The Register-Guard

A truck driver died Wednesday as he apparently tried to put a skid-steer loader onto a flatbed trailer outside a Walmart store in west Eugene.

An initial 911 call indicated the man had been crushed by the equipment, but police said a few hours later that he suffered no visible injuries and that the loader with an attached forklift had not actually fallen on him.

The man's cause of death remains under investigation, police spokesman John Hankemeier said.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the store at 4550 W. 11th Ave. at 11:41 a.m. The man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later, officials said.

Eugene resident Bradley Meharg said the man was initially conscious, and that he administered CPR to the victim after he and several Walmart employees rushed to the truck driver's aid.

"He was trying to put (the loader) on the flatbed when it happened," Meharg said.

Meharg said he happened to witness the incident as he waited outside the store while a friend of his shopped. A Eugene police officer who arrived at the scene commended Meharg for trying to help the victim.

The truck driver was not immediately identified, and authorities did not release additional information about the incident.

Local authorities on Wednesday contacted Oregon Occupational Safety and Health officials.

A spokesman for the state agency, Aaron Corvin, said Oregon-OSHA is conducting an investigation into the man's death but declined to provide further details.

Follow Jack on Twitter @JackMoranRG. Email jack.moran@registerguard.com.