FEBRUARY 28, 2015
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
A construction worker has been killed while working on the
Zoo Interchange construction site near 91st Street in Milwaukee.
Authorities say 33-year-old Ryan Calkins of Brookfield was
killed due to a construction related accident involving machinery on the
westbound side of I-94 at approximately 7:41 a.m. Saturday morning, February
28th — he was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is unclear how many other construction workers were also
working there Saturday morning.
The Wisconsin DOT says this is a very rare occurrence. There
is a lot of safety training involved for any construction project.
A spokesman for the DOT is calling this a tragedy. Those
living nearby echoed that sentiment as they saw emergency crews at the scene
for hours.
“I looked over the edge a little bit and I saw rescue squads
and I saw a bunch of people around a piece of machinery. It was like a drill
thing, like they were drilling to place a post or something,” said Thomas
Kleppin, neighbor.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is working with the
U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health division (OSHA) and
Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office in this investigation.
Work on the Zoo Interchange will continue in part not near
the investigation. It it unclear how long the investigation will last.