WINTER PARK, Fla. — An "I-4 Ultimate" construction worker was killed after being struck by a drainage pipe at a Winter Park work site Monday.
- "I-4 Ultimate" construction worker killed in Winter Park on Monday
- Authorities said 59-year-old worker was struck by drainage pipe
- Contracting firm SGL has suspended all work on I-4 Ultimate project
SGL, the contracting company, has suspended all work along the 21 miles spanning the project for now, the Florida Department of Transportation said.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague, and our heartfelt thoughts are with his family, friends and the members of our team who have endured this tragic loss," SGL project manager Brook Brookshire said in an emailed statement.
Orange County Fire Rescue said it received a call at about 12:40 p.m. about an industrial accident off Wymore Road.
When they got there, they attended to a 59-year-old man who had been struck by an 18-inch-wide by 20-foot-long drainage pipe while it was being moved.
The man was taken to Advent Health hospital in critical condition, where he died.
"This is death investigation, so the Sheriff's Office will be handling that end of it, any questions to exactly what happened. But we do know that an 18-inch pipe by 20 feet long was being moved," said Mike Jachles of Orange County Fire Rescue.
SGL said it's conducting a review of its safety protocols, and I-4 Ultimate work won't resume until that's complete.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the fatal accident.
Just last month, an I-4 Ultimate project subcontractor was critically injured after he fell from a construction deck in downtown Orlando. Also in March of last year, another worker was crushed by a "cap cage" at another downtown Orlando work site.
At least two workers on the project were killed in 2016.
The $2.3 billion I-4 Ultimate construction project to widen or improve portions of the interstate through the Orlando area is expected to last until at least 2021.