Victim identified in fatal incident at bridge construction site in Haverhill

HAVERHILL, Mass. — One person is dead and another has serious injuries after an incident at a bridge construction site in Haverhill Wednesday.

State Police detectives were called to 115 Bank Road just before 10 a.m. for a reported construction accident. Authorities say two men were working on a bridge over the Merrimack River when they fell approximately 40-feet from a bucket truck onto a barge below.

The Essex County District Attorney says one person died on scene. He has been identified by family as Dennis Robertson, 44, of Manchester, New Hampshire. Robertson was the father of four children.

"He was only 44-years-old, just celebrated his birthday last month and celebrated his daughter's wedding at the end of October," said Jim Robertson, the victim's brother.

"Hearing such a thing would be devastating any day of the year, but it's the day before Thanksgiving and my only prayer is we can still enjoy these holidays."

A second person, a 46-year-old, was airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries. He suffered broken bones in his face, legs, and arms and is expected to survive.

According to the union manager, both men worked for the subcontracting company J.R. Vinagro, a recycling and demolition company out of Rhode Island. MassDOT says the construction work was part of a 3-year, $110 million project replacing a bridge that carries I-495 over the Merrimack River.

"The exact circumstances of the incident are still currently unknown. There is going to be a full investigation. There are investigators on site right now and our contractor is fully committed to cooperating with investigators," said Jonathon Gulliver, MassDOT State Highway Administrator.

J.R. Vinagro told Boston 25 News, "Earlier today, the J.R. Vinagro Corporation was working as a sub-contractor on a job site in Haverhill, MA.  Two employees were injured on site.  The MA State Police, as well as the Essex County D.A., is currently investigating this incident.  Please refer all questions to the MA State Police.  We have no further comment at this time however we offer our thoughts and prayers to the employees and their families."

Authorities and OSHA are investigating what caused the workers to fall. They have not yet determined whether the accident was caused by mechanical or operator error.

Boston 25 News has learned in 2016, OSHA investigated the company after a 22-year-old employee died while working a crushing machine at their Johnston plant.

Right now, the state can't deny companies a contract for past safety violations but a bill currently making its way through the state legislature could change that.

"You turned it around and went [in] the right direction," Jim Robertson said of his brother. "And he realized that life had more to offer, and he wanted to grab that. So he started making all the right choices in life."

Cox Media Group