AN IRISH MAN has been killed in a construction accident in New York.

The New York State police said that Gary Feeney (24) was crushed by a 40-foot pipe that became dislodged and fell eight feet while it was being unloaded from a trailer.

The incident occurred at approximately 10.42am on 13 April.  Police in Saratoga were dispatched to a National Grid construction site on the northwest corner of St-67 and East Line Road in the Town of Ballston for a report of a construction accident involving a  pipe that had fallen on a worker.

Upon arrival, they found Gary Feeney laying face down on the ground. Other workers at the site had removed a 12 inch-by-40 foot pipe from the victim.  Community Ambulance, arrived and assumed treatment and Feeney was transported to Saratoga Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11.20am

Gary T Feeney was 24 years old and from Dorchester, Massachusetts, and employed by National Grid subcontractor Feeney Brothers Corp of Dorchester.

Police said:

Initial investigation at the scene indicates that the victim was assisting in unloading the 1700 pound pipe from a flatbed tractor trailer and was holding a guide rope while the pipe was being lifted by an excavator with steel cables and hooks.  The pipe is believed to have shifted causing slack in one of cables and dislodging one of the hooks.  This caused the pipe to fall approximately 8 feet from the top of the load, pinning the victim to the ground.

The NYSP is assisting the National Grid Internal Audit Team, Public Service Commission and OSHA and a joint investigation is continuing.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of the young man’s death, but his family had not sought consular assistance.