Woman Killed by Steel Cylinder at Pittsburgh Construction Site: Who is Responsible?
PITTSBURGH – A woman died Friday when a steel cylinder rolled down a hill from a construction site in Pittsburgh’s Oakland area and struck her, according to authorities. Around 10:40 a.m., Pittsburgh police and EMS responded to the 3700 block of Terrace Street near the Petersen Events Center.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said that Aleia Lopez, 51, of Pittsburgh’s North Side, was declared dead at the scene. A spokeswoman for UPMC confirmed that the woman, who police claimed suffered a head injury, worked at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.
Witnesses informed police that the woman was walking with coworkers when a big steel cylinder broke away from the University of Pittsburgh’s Victory Heights construction site.
UPMC issued a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened by this awful situation. Our immediate priority is the well-being of our staff, patients, and guests. While this was not a UPMC construction site, the tragedy has affected our campuses, and we are offering support services to our staff. Our heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and colleagues.”
The construction site is a collaboration between Gilbane and Massaro.
Officials informed Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that the cylinder rolled down a hill, over a fence, and struck the woman before colliding with a pickup truck.
A registered nurse on the site administered CPR but was unsuccessful.
According to Emily Bourne of Pittsburgh Public Safety, the victim was pronounced dead within one minute of medical arrival.
The construction manager for the project issued the following statement:
“We are working closely with authorities to investigate this tragic incident involving one of our subcontractors. We’re grateful to the first responders for their swift actions at the site.
“We are deeply saddened by today’s events and our hearts go out to the family of the individual impacted by this incident.”
Attorney Dennis Blackwell published the following statement on behalf of Costa Contracting:
With heavy hearts, Costa Contracting wishes to extend their deepest condolences to the family of the woman who lost her life today, Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this profoundly difficult time. Costa Contracting is committed to a full investigation to determine the factors that led to this event. Safety remains our paramount concern and we are working with OSHA and local authorities to understand precisely what occurred. At this time, we respect the privacy of the family and ask that others do the same. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
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