A man from New York was killed last week on a construction site located at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. John J. Hanson, an 82 year old Castleton resident was killed when he was hit by a piece of construction equipment and subsequently run over. Hanson was pronounced dead at the scene. Williamstown police and rescue volunteers were the first to respond to the scene of the accident.
The accident occurred about 7:30 in the morning. The prosecutor's office noted that Hanson was on the construction site as he was working for a subcontractor. There is an ongoing expansion project at the Clark Art Institute, a fine art museum designed by Tadao Ando where the accident occurred. It is being investigated by the state police assigned to the District Attorney's office as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Investigators have not released much information about the victim but it was believed he worked for a New York soil testing company in Castleton. The fatality on the construction does highlight the dangers of working on a construction site with multiple tasks being completed at the same time. Heavy equipment and building materials often make it difficult for operators to see workers close by, resulting in serious worker injury and fatalities.
