Florida construction worker killed when crushed by 3,000-pound bundle of lumber

TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida construction worker was killed on Wednesday after he was crushed by a 3,000-pound bundle of lumber, authorities said.

>> Read more trending news

According to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to Port Tampa Bay at 11:07 a.m. EST.

Deputies said the worker -- whose name and age were not released -- was helping to clear a path for a forklift to transfer two bundles of lumber, each weighing 3,000 pounds.

When the forklift driver braked the vehicle, the bundles rolled forward and fell off, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

“The first bundle clipped the worker, while the second bundle of lumber rolled over and crushed him,” the sheriff’s office said in its release.

The man was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, WFLA-TV reported.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident, the sheriff’s office said.

Wednesday’s accident occurred two months after another construction worker was killed at Port Tampa Bay, the Times reported.

On Sept. 16, Brennen Wagoner, 27, was killed when a concrete slab -- also estimated to weigh around 3,000 pounds -- fell on him, according to the newspaper.

©2022 Cox Media Group