Construction worker killed in accident at project site

By Dani Miskell

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    SAN DIEGO, California (KGTV) — A construction worker was killed Wednesday morning in an accident at a pure water pipeline construction sitein Scripps Ranch, after dirt and a pipe crushed the worker at the bottom of a dirt trench, officials said.

According to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials, emergency crews were called to a water pipe construction site in the 11200 block of Hoyt Park Drive, near Scripps Ranch Boulevard, at around 4 a.m. for what was described as a trench rescue.

SDFD officials said they were told a worker was about 20 feet down a trench with dirt and a concrete pipe on them. A co-worker that was also in the trench at the time was able to get out.

Tommy Charpentier, Battalion Chief and Incident Commander with San Diego Fire-Resuce said, ​”My understanding of what happened is that the dirt that ‘sluft’ off and created a massive amount of weight and material that pushed the pipe on the victim. To my understanding they were installing the pipe when the accident happened.”

Emergency crews arrived a short time later, but medics determined that the worker had died around 4:45 a.m. Officials believe an unstable foundation led to the 4-foot-wide pipe falling on the worker.

ABC 10News saw the fire department’s Technical Rescue team lower a member down to recover the deceased worker from under the pipe, after using a special truck with the City of San Diego’s Stormwater Department to suck up the dirt from the trench.

Construction crews on-scene were seen visibly devastated at their coworker’s sudden loss, and rescue crews were affected by the worker’s passing as well.

“It is difficult when we make that transition from a rescue to a recovery and we’re here interacting with co-workers. and the city employees and contractors knew this victim and were here when he passed away from the accident,” Charpentier said.

Cal/OSHA officials were on their way to the scene to conduct an investigation.

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