SEATTLE — A construction worker at the State Route 520 Montlake Project was killed Wednesday when he was struck in the chest by an 11,000 pound steel beam and was pinned between the pillar and a flatbed trailer that was carrying it.
The 45-year-old victim, whose identity was pending, died while being transported to a hospital for medical care, a spokesperson for the Seattle Fire Department said. The accident occurred shortly after 5 p.m., KOMO-TV reported.
Crews were able to free the man from between the beam and the flatbed and began CPR before paramedics arrived at the scene, the spokesperson said.
The worker was part of the crew assigned to the $455 million project to reconstruct SR-520, which aims to bring major changes to the Montlake interchange. The project is expected to be completed between 2023 and 2024.
It was not immediately clear if work at the site would be halted or if investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had been notified.
