Although Hernandez had few visible signs of head trauma, an autopsy conducted Friday showed she died from massive head injuries. Hernandez did not regain consciousness after the accident, which occurred at an 85-acre grove on Agen Road, about a half-mile north of Highway 118.An employee of farm labor contractor Da-Vir Industries Ltd. of Ventura, Hernandez was working at a farm operated by D.F.K. Corp. Aside from Ventura County Sheriff deputies and VC firefighters/EMTs, Cal/OSHA personnel responded to the scene, interviewing employees and retracing the events leading up to the accident. Since the accident was work-related, Cal/OSHA leads the investigation, which could result in a fine up to $25,000; the results of the investigation could take up to three months, according to Dean Fryer, a spokesman for the state agency.Da-Vir Industries Ltd. has only been cited by Cal/OSHA for minor health violations involving worker cleanliness, added Fryer.Hernandez is the third Ventura County farm worker killed during an on-the-job accident in the past year and the eighth in 18-months.
Santa Paula woman killed when knocked from ladder in Somis lemon orchard
February 15, 2002
Santa Paula News
A 28-year-old Santa Paula woman received fatal injuries Feb. 7 as she was picking lemons on a ladder and was knocked to the ground by a passing forklift.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA 28-year-old Santa Paula woman received fatal injuries Feb. 7 as she was picking lemons on a ladder and was knocked to the ground by a passing forklift.Olivia Hernandez was pronounced dead at St. John’s Regional Medical Center about an hour after the 11:40 a.m. accident occurred in a Somis lemon orchard, according to county Senior Deputy Medical Examiner Craig Stevens.Hernandez was three to four feet above ground when a passing forklift brushed her ladder; Hernandez fell and hit her head on a section of hard dirt.Several of her 26 co-workers pulled Hernandez from under the trees and tried to revive her until paramedics arrived on the scene.