SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A utility worker was identified on Tuesday after he was killed in San Francisco by 8 feet of dirt and concrete collapsing on top of him in a trench.
The victim was identified by the city’s Chief Medical Examiner as Javier Romero, 25, of Alameda County.
Romero was working below ground on a city sewer line in the Lower Haight neighborhood last week when the fatal accident happened. Romero was trapped in the trench for two hours before emergency crews were able to reach his body, the San Francisco Fire Department said.
It’s still unknown why the trench suddenly collapsed on Sept. 28. Cal OSHA and other agencies are investigating the utility worker’s death to find out what went wrong at the sewer upgrade project site. According to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Romero worked for a private contractor.
Rachel Gorden of San Francisco Public Works told KRON4, “We are inspecting to see what they were doing at the time of this trench collapse.” Gorden said safety is the number one priority for any construction site.
