Worker dies after fall into utility shaft at Harris County construction site
(UI) — A construction worker died on July 13 after falling into a utility shaft at a job site in east Harris County, Texas, where investigators are examining whether the fall followed an altercation with a coworker, according to a report by Click2Houston.
Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff's Office responded to the construction site shortly before 8 a.m. after receiving reports that a worker had fallen into a utility shaft estimated to be 30 to 40 feet deep.
As reported by Click2Houston, witnesses told investigators the 47-year-old worker had been involved in an altercation with another employee moments before the incident. Authorities have not determined whether the victim was pushed or accidentally fell into the shaft.
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Firefighters from the Sheldon Fire Department entered the shaft and pronounced the worker dead at the scene.
The coworker involved in the reported altercation, along with other witnesses, was detained for questioning by Harris County Sheriff's Office homicide investigators.
Recovery of the victim's body was delayed because severe weather created unsafe conditions at the site. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is expected to determine the cause and manner of death following an autopsy.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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