Worker dead after rock ledge collapses on excavator at industrial site in Sterling, DA says

STERLING, Mass. — A worker was killed when a rock ledge collapsed on an excavator at an industrial site in Sterling on Thursday morning, authorities said.

Emergency crews responding to an Onyx Corporation quarry at 17 Stone Crest Way near Chocksett Road just before 8 a.m. learned an excavator operator was trapped beneath a pile of rubble after a portion of a rock ledge crumbled down on top of the heavy machinery, according to the Worcester District Attorney’s Office.

“Crews used camera equipment to assess the scene of the collapse and determined there were no signs of life,” a spokesperson for the DA’s office said in a statement.

Onyx Corporation operates a demolition and excavation company, providing sand, gravel, and other aggregate needs.

After the ledge collapsed, the Sterling Select Board held an emergency meeting and sent a cease-and-desist order to Onyx, calling on them to suspend earth removal until after an investigation is conducted at the site, Town Administrator William Caldwell confirmed in a statement.

In a Facebook post, Onyx announced the closure of their locations in Acton, Leominster, Westford, and Sterling through the weekend. It will resume business on Monday.

Onyx has closed ALL LOCATIONS from today through the weekend. We will resume business on Monday 8/26.
Posted by Onyx Corporation on Thursday, August 22, 2024

In a statement, Onyx said:

“Our hearts go out to the family of our longtime employee and friend who was killed in a tragic accident this morning at our Sterling Sand and Gravel pit. He was operating an excavator within the safety zone of a 100-foot ledge face when the wall collapsed; we are not releasing his name pending notification of next of kin. Leading the investigation onsite is the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) who had been at the facility as recently as Tuesday for a company-requested inspection due to expanded operations.”

Boston 25 News photographer Ken Lucas flew a drone over the quarry, capturing video of a large pile of boulders and multiple excavators roped off with yellow tape.

Terry Heinold, a former owner of the quarry, told reporters at the scene that rescue crews from multiple towns were called in to assist with the rescue. He called the incident “unfortunate.”

“It was a wall or a piece of the ledge or something that fell off the side of the hill and hit the machine the man was driving. That’s all I know,” Heinold said. “Something went wrong and he’s trapped.”

The U.S. Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration is currently inspecting the site to determine the safety of moving forward with retrieval efforts.

A District 8 Technical Rescue Team made up of assets from Barre, Clinton, Leominster, Fitchburg, Gardner, Holden, Sterling, and West responded to the scene, as well as the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure, the Massachusetts State Police Drone Unit, the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services.

Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the DA’s office are assisting Sterling police and fire officials with the investigation.

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