Construction Worker Dead After Wall Collapses At Arundel Mills Mall
HANOVER, Md. (WJZ) -- Deadly collapse at a construction site. One worker was killed and another seriously hurt when a wall at the Arundel Mills slots site comes crashing down.
Meghan McCorkell has the latest.
That section of the wall that came down was about 30 feet by 40 feet. Workers had to use a massive crane to lift that one section of the wall, but one worker was already dead.
Just before 10 a.m. Friday, rescue workers were called to the Arundel Mills casino site. A wall tumbled down on top of a construction worker.
"Details are sketchy as to what caused the wall to fall," said Division Chief Michael Cox, Anne Arundel Co. Fire.
Leon Ray Sax, 27, of Hanover, Pa., was inside a blue bucket lift when the wall crushed him. Darbin Suazo-Jimenez, 25, of Manassas, Va. was also injured when he was hit by that wall.
"That patient was transported priority one to Shock Trauma in Baltimore via ground ambulance," Cox said.
Sky Eye Chopper 13 was over the scene as firefighters worked to recover the body of the worker. Rescue crews from neighboring counties were also called in to help because of Friday's extreme heat.
"We actually operate under work-rest cycles and today with the temperatures and the humidity we can only get 15 minutes out of each crew," Cox said.
After about four hours, rescue workers recovered the body. Now, investigators are trying to determine what caused that wall to come down.
And at this point, the death is being reported as an accident. Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating.
The Arundel Mills slots complex is slated to open in limited fashion at the end of 2012.
