A man was killed in an accident involving an excavator in the Penn Valley area Wednesday evening according to the Nevada county Sheriff’s Department.   Sheriff Keith Royal says a deputy was called to the remote location in the 15 thousand block of No. Exit Road  around 6:30 p.m.Wednesday evening.

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The Sheriff reports the man’s girlfriend  was also struck in the foot by one of the falling buckets and was taken to Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital for treatment.  The victim identified by the Sheriff’s department as 51 year old  Roger Elliott of Penn Valley   had 30 years experience operating heavy equipment.  The Sheriff says it looks like  this was just a “tragic accident.”