Othello man dies during school experiment

About 600 students witness accident

OTHELLO — A group of roughly 600 elementary school students watched as an Othello man plummeted to his death at Hiawatha Elementary School Thursday afternoon.

Avista Utilities worker Robert "Bob" D. Smith, 50, was killed and first-grade teacher Melissa Martinez was injured when the boom on an Avista utility truck collapsed while they were elevated 20 to 30 feet in the air to perform a science experiment, Othello Police Chief Steve Dunnagan said.

The pair were in the process of positioning the bucket when at 1:47 p.m. the boom came apart from the truck, sending the bucket crashing downward, according to Othello Police. When the boom arm hit the basketball court, it became embedded in the concrete by several inches.

"There was a catastrophic equipment failure," Dunnagan said.

Smith suffered numerous head injuries and was pronounced dead at Othello Community Hospital, Dunnagan said. Smith worked for Avista for 23 years and has children who once attended the school. Smith is reported to have volunteered to help with the experiment for years.

Martinez sustained injuries and was taken to Othello Community Hospital, before being transferred to Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane. She was described as conscious and alert at the scene. This is Martinez's first year teaching at the elementary school, according to Othello School District Superintendent George Juarez.

The science experiment is called an "egg drop," which is an annual science experiment where students design cases to protect an egg from impact when dropped from a height of 20 to 30 feet.

More than 600 kindergarten to sixth grade students, parents and teaching staff assembled outside of the school to watch the eggs being dropped from the bucket of the boom truck.

The students and audience were a safe distance away from the truck during the time of the accident, according to school staff. The children were taken inside immediately after the accident, some going home with parents.

School counselors were called to help children and staff who witnessed the accident and will be on hand to assist throughout today.

Outdoor physical education is going to be conducted at a nearby park while the truck remains in place during investigations.

"We just want to keep kids away from that scene at this point," said Juarez.

Avista and the state Department of Labor and Industries are investigating the accident.

"We will cooperate with (state Department of Labor and Industries) and then we will review the activity ourselves to come to some sort of determination," said Juarez.

The district plans to review the experiment to determine if it will continue next year.