Man dies in Alamo construction accident
ALAMO — A 25-year-old construction worker died Friday afternoon when the walls of the trench he was working in collapsed and pinned him to a sewer main, officials said.
Rigoberto Tovar, a Mexican national, was working about noon Friday to install a storm sewer line about 10 feet underground near the intersection of South Tower and Ridge roads when the accident occurred, Alamo City Manager Luciano Ozuna Jr. said.
Tovar was standing in a 6-foot-deep trench when the earthen walls gave way and knocked him forward into the sewer main, killing him instantly, Ozuna said. There were about four other construction workers there at the time.
The man was working for M Construction of McAllen, a private contractor hired by the city of Alamo for the project, Ozuna said. Calls to M Construction after business hours were not returned.
“It’s just terrible,” Ozuna said. “It’s really a tragedy. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family.”
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is conducting an investigation of the accident site to determine whether all safety protocols were followed, Ozuna said.
The installation of the storm sewer line is part of a bigger city project to improve Tower Road from Ridge to Moore roads and widen Tower to four lanes, he said.
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Nick Pipitone covers McAllen, PSJA, the Mid-Valley and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4446.
