The two men, Angel Vallespi of Portland and Robert McLeod of Harrington, were shocked when a crane on the site at which they worked came into contact with overhead power lines. Vallespi later died as a result of his injuries, but McLead is expected to make a full recovery.
Local police say that wind may have been a factor in the accident. However, OSHA will want to investigate exactly how close the crane was to the lines at the time of the accident.
Sergeant Mike Burgess of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office told WCSH6, “From what I understand speaking to a representative from Central Maine Power [the power line owner], they were never notified that this crane was going to be moving or this modular home was this close to powerlines, because if they were notified they would have shut the power off as a precaution.”
The crane was operated by Scott Sinclair, and on hire from Irving Equipment. The crane company said, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the injured and the deceased. Our company was contracted by Coastline Homes of Ellsworth to provide a crane and an operator. We were not in charge of the job site. Irving Equipment believes we followed all of the appropriate regulations and safety guidelines regarding this job. We are continuing to cooperate fully with the OSHA investigation.”
The two injured men worked for J & S Carpentry. The company has expressed its condolences, and set up a fund for Vallespi’s one-year-old daughter. Donations can be sent to: Machias Savings Bank, P.O. Box 318, Machias, ME 04654, USA, Attn: Jennifer Tuell.
