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Man killed in industrial accident on Hwy. 118
Worker on freeway project fell, struck head on ground
Karen Quincy Loberg / Star staff Frank Durling, right, of the Ventura County Coroner's office, prepares to retrieve the body of an unidentified man who was killed while working on Highway 118.
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More from County NewsA man was killed Friday afternoon at a work site along the eastbound lanes of Highway 118 in Simi Valley, authorities said.
The accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on the shoulder of the freeway west of Kuehner Drive, where a construction crew was drilling holes for a future sound wall.
The approximately 30-year-old man became entangled on an auger, which is used to drill the holes, and fell, hitting his head on rebar embedded in the ground, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Moriarty said.
The man's identity is being withheld pending notification of his family, Moriarty said.
The man was an employee of a subcontractor working on the Caltrans project, which includes adding a lane to the freeway, Aziz Maghsodloo, a Caltrans structure representative said.
The accident is under investigation, according to a Caltrans statement.
By 5 p.m., as rush hour traffic began to back up on the freeway, a representative of California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health was on the scene investigating the incident.
The $46.5 million construction project, which got under way this spring, will widen eastbound Highway 118 from Tapo Street to Kuehner Drive from three to four lanes.
The project also includes widening bridges at Kuehner, Stearns, Kadota Street and Tapo and the construction of soundwalls.
The second phase of the project would widen the other side of the highway, build another soundwall and add traffic signals.
Posted by dcsfancy on October 27, 2007 at 8:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
how did he get entangled? This is horrible. Who is the contractor?
Posted by tiredofviolence on October 27, 2007 at 8:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is so sad, I'm sorry for his family. Life is short, take every day as if it were your last. Never leave the house angry - live life to the fullest.
Posted by rebel123 on October 27, 2007 at 4:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Possibly loose clothing....shirt untucked, jacket open....and got caught on the auger. Very sad.
Posted by Ambz on October 27, 2007 at 4:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is so terrible. My sympathies to his family!
Posted by chevydirtgirl on October 27, 2007 at 8:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
my husband and his best friend knew the man that died in this accident really well. the news of this horrid accident and his untimely death was horrifying for all of us! our hearts go out to his family at this devastating time in their lives... the saddness we feel cannot compare to what they are going thru right now. which makes me wonder what they must think about the choice of photos the star used in this article! that is NOT an image anyone wants to have stuck in their head and heart...
Posted by Ambz on October 27, 2007 at 11:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
you know, I just read the story, I didn't even look at the picture until you mentioned it, and I completely agree with you!! Thats terrible! In my opinion of course, there are some people that would disagree with us. My heart goes out to all who lost him.
Posted by weekendgirl1109 on October 29, 2007 at 11:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I totally agree with you ambz and chevydirtgirl, when it comes to class, the star has none..they are so excited about getting their story in and they pictures, they dont stop and think about the families and friends who have to see these pictures that they take...for instance, two of my family members were killed in a car accident a couple of years ago, what do u think was on the front page of the star...my family members bodies covered with a yellow tarp...now come on what family member wants to see that or do they want to see the smashed up car they were in...the star only cares about how many papers they can sell..and yes i read these stories too just like everyone else but i just think they need to think about putting these pictures in the paper before they put them in and they need to ask themselves what if this was one of my family members would i want to see the accident where they died or even their bodies laid out on the ground or even the car they were in...
Posted by kyliepoo007 on October 30, 2007 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I didnt even look at the picture when I read the article......how horrible, not to mention the huge black sign on the map saying " DEAD MAN " obsured!!!!! This is very sad.
Posted by AnnaWhaat on October 31, 2007 at 8:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
chevydirtgirl, I am so sorry that any friend or family member had to see that photo. NO it was not appropriate and no telling how much more damage it mentally caused. I am so sorry if they viewed that !!!!!!!
My prayers and Condolenced to the family and friends of this man....
And then they offer photo reprints !!!!!!! OMG !!!! That is so terrible !!!!!!
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