Truck driver Manuel Funez, a temporary worker employed by Lone Star Staffing and driving for Richardson Stevedor and Logistics, was killed on Monday, June 4, when a steel pipe fell on him.

Funez was picking up a load on the dock at the Port of Houston and was standing by his truck when the accident occurred.

According to Nolan Richardson of Richardson Stevedor, steel pipes were being loaded onto the truck by a fork lift operator from the International Longshoremen’s Association employed by Cooper/T. Smith Stevedoring Co.

Richardson said there was one more piece of pipe being loaded than could fit on the trailer. He said 96 inches of pipe was being loaded on a 91-inch trailer. One pipe fell and hit Funez, who was standing on the opposite side of the truck.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has an open and ongoing investigation into the incident.

Lone Star Staffing would not comment. A call to Cooper/T. Smith Stevedoring Co. was not returned.