Riding lawn mower
After a maintenance worker at a park in North Carolina drove his lawn mower down an embankment and died, the National Park Service has ordered its 397 parks across the county to stop mowing. (AP Photo)

Mowers in Washington's national parks are silent after fatal accident

BY KIRO Radio Staff  on May 15, 2012 @ 2:42 pm (Updated: 3:56 pm - 5/15/12 )

After a maintenance worker at a park in North Carolina drove his lawn mower down an embankment and died, the National Park Service has ordered its 397 parks across the county to stop mowing.

Dana Bruce, 63, died after his riding mower fell more than 140 feet down a boulder-strewn embankment May 7. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kevin Bacher, a spokesman for Mount Rainier National Park, says even though the death was on the other side of the country, lawn mowers in Washington's three national parks aren't moving.

"At Mount Rainier, we don't do a lot of mowing, but we are honoring the safety stand down that is happening nationwide."

Bacher says they'll fire the mowers back up as soon as they've completed all of their safety checks, probably in a couple of days.

KIRO Radio Staff, Staff report
Straight from the newsdesk.
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Comments (12)


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  • xplanes wrote...
    If it saves one maintenance worker's life....
    May 15, 2012 3:17 pm
    Yet they are still flying the F-22
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • murr wrote...
    ummm
    May 15, 2012 3:39 pm
    you see how they ALL can come together in an instant on doing less work, or they are not getting paid enough. Ohhh thats right. The next sentance out of their mouth, they are doing it for the people ? Ill rephrase that. (doing it to the people) again, flat out lazy goverment workers. the norm.
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  • nwskiergirl wrote...
    Not just paid days off but
    May 15, 2012 5:25 pm
    We will now see increases in park entry fees to pay for the 400 new workers needed to keep the mowers up to the new safety standards. Oh and don't forget committee which will be needed to come up with the new standards. They'll have to do that on overtime as well seeing as they are already overworked. Good thing they were able to get today off.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chris Halliday wrote...
    Cool F-22 comment
    May 15, 2012 5:33 pm
    I watched the 60 Minutes episode about the F-22. It is scary that that plane is still allowed to operate. I hope everthing works out well for the two pilots who said they refuse to fly this death trap of a plane. They shouldn't have a problem getting a civilian gig if they get booted. But I also saw the F-22 on the History Channel as they praised it for being the best fighter of all time. Being ex-military, I was so proud of the technology. It really bums me out that the project might end up being a multi-billion dollar failure. I hope they get the kinks worked out so I can be proud of the plane once again.
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  • maplefish wrote...
    So, Mr. Hailiday
    May 15, 2012 6:49 pm
    You must be employed as a Washington State National Park Lawnmower?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    Maplefish
    May 16, 2012 6:10 am
    Were you drunk or high when you posted this or are you just that stupid?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    Really?
    May 15, 2012 8:30 pm
    One idiot kills himself and the entire system shuts down? Really? A memo about "Riding mowers are not ATVs" would seem to suffice.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • xplanes wrote...
    That memo better be printed in 16 languages
    May 15, 2012 8:50 pm
    or there might be a lawsuit. Maplefish must be smoking the grass they aint cutting.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • 2112 wrote...
    Lawsuits?
    May 15, 2012 8:46 pm
    Does the stand down have anything to do with the litigiousness of Washington State? Lots of P.I. Lawyers love to make a few more million suing the government.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    South Carolina . . . .
    May 15, 2012 9:07 pm
    airplanes????
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    After extensive investigation, the issue turned out to be a case of a missing comma...
    May 16, 2012 6:36 am
    The maintenance supervisor should have said "Mow that, Cliff."
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Neighbors wrote...
    Wow, Citizen
    May 16, 2012 9:03 am
    Second time in two days I've logged on just to support a comment of yours. Well played, sir... well played. Perhaps this does go on to show that our slipping education system is bound to lead to more deaths, unless everyone is told to not work while research is done. Just think if math was actively required to mow lawns. In all seriousness, though, I do feel bad for him and his family. Perhaps he was distracted, or perhaps he had a medical issue at the time, but either way it is a sad situation.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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