APRIL 15, 2015
PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA
A 33-year old construction worker was killed this morning at
a U.S. Highway 101 widening project south of Petaluma, according to the
California Highway Patrol and the Sonoma County fire and emergency dispatch
center.
The accident was reported at 7:16 a.m. at Kastania Road near Petaluma Boulevard South, a dispatcher said.
The accident was reported at 7:16 a.m. at Kastania Road near Petaluma Boulevard South, a dispatcher said.
Worker crushed to death by falling pipe at Petaluma
construction site http://t.co/MKYp9tNyhL
— The Press Democrat (@NorthBayNews) April 15, 2015
The 33-year-old man was crushed by the huge pipe and died in
the 7:15 a.m. accident, which occurred just west of the highway near the new
Petaluma Boulevard South overpass.
An initial investigation showed the man was working as a
pipe layer in a dirt construction area. He’d
been standing by while a forklift operator moving a large metal pipe encased in
concrete set the pipe down onto the ground, CHP Officer Kerri Post said.
The pipe began to roll down the embankment and preliminary
information indicated the man attempted to stop it but the size and weight were
too much and it rolled over him, Post said.
Following the incident, as law enforcement investigated, the
body of the worker remained on the hillside, covered with a white cloth. A
white helmet lay on the ground, several feet away.
His name wasn’t being released pending notification of his
family.
He was working on a Highway 101 project, involving improving
the frontage road where Petaluma Boulevard South connects with Kastania Road.
The work is being done by Maggiora-Ghilotti Inc., a longstanding Marin County
construction firm.
Calls for help to the site came at about 7:15 a.m., with
reports of a worker initially trapped underneath a pipe. About 10 minutes
later, reports indicated the worker had died.
The incident unfolded within view, just uphill, of passing
highway motorists.
Cal Fire, Petaluma and San Antonio firefighters, an
ambulance and medical helicopter were sent to the incident. A Novato fire
battalion chief, CHP and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
Cal-Osha, the state agency, which investigates workplace
injuries, was notified, Post said.
Source: http://www.pressdemocrat.com