The City of Parksville has posted a news release to its website that a subcontracted truck driver died while delivering a shipment of steel beams to the new water treatment construction project Monday afternoon (June 4).
The city’s news release was posted Tuesday morning (June 5), and states that “the City of Parksville regrets this tragic incident and loss of life and extends our most sincere condolences to the driver’s family, friends and colleagues.”
Gillian Burnett, the government and media relations officer for WorkSafeBC, said in a statement that the RCMP contacted WorkSafeBC at 12:38 p.m. Monday to report an incident involving a worker at a construction site at 1082 Herring Gull Way in the Parksville industrial park.
Preliminary details, Burnett said, indicated injuries were serious.
Andy Watson, communications manager with BC Coroners Service, said there is an investigation, but there aren’t many details yet. He said the victim was a Nanaimo man in his early 40s.
Burnett said RCMP, the Parksville fire department BC Ambulance Service and WorkSafeBC responded to the incident. She added that because WorkSafeBC sent out an officer, there should be an inspection report written and filed in the next 24-48 hours.
In the city’s news release, it said no other employees were involved and “there is no ongoing safety or environmental risk at the city’s operation yard” located on Herring Gull Way in the industrial park.
— NEWS Staff
