Worker Killed in Trench by Concrete Slab

I was driving down North Street yesterday on my way to Party City in Port Chester to get a balloon for Kait's birthday when I was passed by a volunteer firefighter...

I drove down a little more and I see a road off of North Street bombarded with fire engines, cops, SUVs, anything they seem to have had available...

I was about to call my mother to ask if she heard anything on the online police scanner, when I see a text from her:
"FWD: The 911 Center: Greenwich- 2 MacPherson Drive. TRENCH RESCUE. Worker confirmed trapped beneath the soil"

Today I read in the paper that the worker died. Here's the article:

Greenwich Time- A man was killed Monday after a concrete slab collapsed on him, killing him instantly, as he worked below in a trench, officials said.

First Selectman Peter Tesei, who also serves as the fire commissioner, said the trapped man's hand was visible to rescuers, but he did not have a pulse when rescuers arrived at 2 MacPherson Drive around 3 p.m. The home, which neighbors said had been unoccupied for some time, was undergoing major renovations. Tesei said it appeared construction workers had dug the 7-foot trench to do utility work when a concrete slab underneath the front door of the home gave way.

"I think there is a great deal of shock and sadness anytime something like this happens, but particularly to see the effects," Tesei said. "It is disturbing nonetheless. It's sad."

A second worker who was in the area of the collapse sustained minor injuries during the accident and was taken to Greenwich Hospital. The names of both men were not released Monday, pending notification of their families. The man killed is believed to be under 30 years old, according to officials at the scene.

Specialized members of the Fire Department's trench rescue team responded, as well as volunteers from the Sound Beach Firehouse trench rescue team. Nearly two dozen firefighters were expected to work into the night to recover the man's body. Tesei said rescuers were being extra cautious so that no firefighters or other emergency workers were injured in the process.

As rescuers worked Monday evening, several bystanders who appeared to be either fellow workers or family members were seen crying and speaking with police before quickly leaving the area.

Neighbors who gathered outside the driveway of the home Monday said they were saddened to learn about the tragic accident.

"It is unfortunate," said Linda Richards, who lives with her husband Phil across the street from the accident scene. Richards said she thought all the emergency works on scene were there to deal with power outages when she first arrived home.

Timothy Nolan, another neighbor, said he knew the accident was serious when he saw a news helicopter overhead. "That is when it dawned on me something serious had happened," said Nolan, a retired surgeon. "Whenever you do construction, there is always the possibility of a catastrophe."

Both Richards and Nolan said they did not know who owned the home. Property records list several different names. There were no property tax records for the home listed online.

As of Monday evening, police and fire officials were awaiting the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner and representatives from the Occupational and Safety and Heath Administration to come investigate the incident.

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Construction Worker Who Died In Trench Accident Identified

GREENWICH — Police have released the identity of a construction worker killed when a trench collapsed Monday.

Eric F. Chincilla, 27, of Stamford was working at a house construction site on Macpherson Drive when the accident happened, police said. A second worker was injured.

Firefighters trained in trench rescues worked to save the two men, police said. The condition and identity of the second man was not released as of early Tuesday afternoon.

The accident is being investigated by the police department and Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors.