Construction Worker Death Under Investigation

Detroit (WWJ) -- State investigators are trying to determine if proper safety procedures were followed at a construction site where a worker died.

Jose Aguilar, a 36-year old worker from Imperial Construction, died Tuesday afternoon after he was trapped in a hole as he worked at a construction site near Seven Mile and Ryan.

Sgt. Eren Stephens Bell said Aguilar was working on a residential road reconstruction project when the road collapsed and debris, mud and a slab of concrete fell on him.

Stephens Bell said the man was unconscious when he was pulled from the hole. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

A spokesman for the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration told WWJ Newsradio 950 that work at the site has stopped for now.

A spokesperson for Imperial, which works exclusively on water pipe repair, said this is their first fatality in 42 years. Imperial had no comment on the issue of the responsibility of the city inspector to assess the conditions which preceded the cave-in, but the spokesperson said they are independently investigating the event and are also working with MIOSHA.

State records show Imperial has been cited three times in the past five years for safety violations related to excavating and trenching. The latest citation, issued just a couple months ago, is under appeal.

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