Here’s the weekend’s sad news from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration:

At approximately 5:00 am Sunday, a miner (the continuous mining machine operator), who was reported to be about 30 yrs old, was killed after being caught between the continuous mining machine and the coal rib. The mine is under k order and MSHA is investigating.

The incident occurred at Peabody Energy subsidiary Big Ridge Inc.’s Willow Lake Portal in Saline County, Ill.  According to The Southern Illinoisan:

Chad Wayne Meyers, 30, Goreville, died in the accident that occurred about 3:20 a.m., Peabody spokeswoman Meg Gallagher said in a statement released Saturday.

Meyers was caught between the machine and the coal rib, Mine Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman Amy Louviere said.

He was pronounced dead at 4:40 a.m. An autopsy indicating preliminary cause of death as blunt force trauma was performed Saturday, Saline County Coroner Jerry Doug Watson said.

This is the 17th U.S. coal mining death so far in 2012, according to MSHA. That’s slightly better than the pace last year, according to MSHA data.