Woodland’s Doward Miller lived to talk about his Sunday misadventure.
“Oh, I’m a little sore. Considering I had a 10,000-pound dozer on me, I feel pretty lucky,” Miller, 62, said Sunday evening after his accident at about 3:10 p.m.
Here’s what happened.
Miller was driving his Caterpillar bulldozer onto a trailer to move it to another spot on his 8 acres at 272 Bryant Hill Road in Woodland. It started to slide off and then went on its top with Miller underneath.
“The trailer has to be perfectly flat and it had just a little bit of a slope, and when you drive the dozer up on the trailer, if there is any slope, it’s like a skating rink,” Miller said.
“It was kind of on my chest and I was having a hard time breathing,” Miller said.
He told his son, Greg, to get a bottle jack.
Soon, Greg was jacking and a neighbor was digging. But Miller said the neighbor was worried his digging might cause the dozer to fall heavier on Miller.
Then Miller’s son Nicolai arrived from his home about 1 1/2 miles away.
“I said, ‘Just dig, don’t listen to anybody, dig,’ ” Miller said he instructed Nicolai. Soon, there was about 3/4 of an inch clearance. But Miller did not want to be pulled out.
“My legs were wrapped around all the controls. My right leg was pinned against my left shoulder, it was like I was in a suitcase.
“I just kind of pushed my way out,” he said.
Police, fire and ambulances responded, but Miller did not go to a hospital.
Miller is well-known to many boaters. He is former owner of Danish Marine on Hayden Island, and still works there.
Of his escape, Miller said, “It’s all luck.
“I’m sure I’ll be sore tomorrow.”
