Trench collapse kills construction worker in Sandy

SANDY – A construction worker is dead after a construction accident behind a home after the ground surrounding a trench gave way.

Investigators say the man was with co-workers building a retention wall in a sloped back yard on Ksel Drive.  Unified Police Lieutenant Brian Lohrke says disaster truck at roughly 2 p.m.  He says, “The dirt behind it, the integrity wasn’t there and it just gave way and came down.”

(Photo Credit: KSL Chopper 5)

The victim has been identified as a 42-year old man who was almost completely buried.  Equipment surrounding the trench also came down, and may have struck the victim.  Lohrke says it’s too early to know why the ground moved, but, several different agencies will look into it. m“We have a lot of partners we work with on cases like this.  I’m sure OSHA will come out and look at it.  We have other folks with [Salt Lake] County that work on permits and worker safety,” Lohrke says

Meanwhile, crews are having a very difficult time bring the man’s body out of the trench.  Lohrke says, “The area around it is still very unstable.  We’re trying to make it as safe as we can for our first responders.”