Troopers said Jaime Bell fell after the truck moved while pipe was being transferred toward a forklift.
MADILL, Okla. — A 54-year-old employee was killed in a workplace accident at J&I Manufacturing after falling from the bed of a semitrailer while pipe was being moved toward a forklift, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Troopers identified the worker as Jaime Bell of Madill. The accident happened Wednesday morning, Oct. 21, at the manufacturing facility in the southern Oklahoma community. Authorities said Bell was on the trailer during the pipe-handling operation when the semitrailer driver pulled forward.
The movement caused Bell to lose his balance and fall, the Highway Patrol said. Bell struck his head on the trailer and died from his injuries, according to the agency’s account provided to KXII. Authorities did not release further details about what led the driver to move the truck.
The available reports did not identify the semitrailer driver or indicate that any criminal citation or charge had been issued. They also did not provide additional information about other employees who may have been present or whether anyone else was injured.
J&I Manufacturing produces truck beds and bodies used in farming, ranching and oil-related work, according to information from the company cited by Arizona’s Family. The business also processes steel products and supplies equipment for agricultural operations.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s initial account did not provide information about any separate workplace-safety review or findings concerning responsibility for the accident. No conclusions about fault or possible safety violations had been announced in the reports reviewed.
KXII first reported the death on Oct. 21 and described the case as developing. A later Gray News report carried by Arizona’s Family on Oct. 25 repeated the Highway Patrol account and said no additional information about the accident had been disclosed.
Bell’s death remained the only fatality reported in connection with the incident. Authorities had not publicly released further investigative findings as of the latest available reports.
Author note: Last updated October 26, 2026.