Questions remain after fatal trench collapse near Brier Creek
NEWS AT
>>> FROM RESCUE TO RECOVERY, A
TRAGIC ENDING TO A STORY WE
BROUGHT YOU LIVE UP FROM THE
PAST SIX HOURS BOTH ON
TELEVISION AND ONLINE.
THANK YOU FOR STAYING WITH US.
I AM DAVID CRABTREE.
>> AND I AM DEBRA MORGAN.
SKY 5 COVERED OVER MOST OF THE
DAY AS OUR CRUISE NEXT KEPT US
UP-TO-DATE OVER WHAT WAS
HAPPENING.
THIS UNFOLDED AT THE
INTERSECTION OF TW ALEXANDER
AND GLENWOOD AVENUE.
RIGHT THERE, WHERE RALEIGH
MEETS HIGHWAY 70.
>> Reporter: DEBORAH, THE
SEARCH IS ON FOR ANSWERS AND
HOW THIS COLLAPSE HAPPENED IN
THE FIRST PLACE.
RESCUERS RECOVERED THE LAST
WORKER FROM THE TRENCH A LITTLE
MORE THAN AN HOUR AGO.
HE DID NOT SURVIVE AND THOSE
RESCUERS TOLD ME IT WAS NOT
EASY GETTING TO THAT WORKER.
HE WAS COMPLETELY COVERED BY
DIRT IN THE HOLE BEHIND ME.
THE WORST ERAS TOOK HOURS.
CLEARLY SURVIVOR WAS NOT LIKELY
FOR THAT WORKER, THREE OTHERS
DID GET OUT.
ONE WAS ABLE TO WALK AWAY ON
HIS OWN, TWO OTHERS WERE BURIED
TO THE WASTE IN HIS CHEST AND
NEEDED HELP BEING FREE.
THEY INSTALLING GAS PUMPS IN
BRIAR CREEK.
FIRST RESPONDERS SAY THEY HAD TO
SEARCH, WHILE MAKING SURE THEIR
OWN PEOPLE, THE RESCUERS, WERE
SAFE FROM ANOTHER COLLAPSE.
WATCHING THEM WORK, I CAN TELL
YOU THEY USED EVERY TOOL THEY
HAD TO GET DOWN THERE.
>> WE HAD TO SECURE THE TRENCH,
VARIOUS TOOLS FROM LADDERS,
SHOVELS, A VACUUM TRUCK. IT'S A
LOT OF RESOURCES THAT GO INTO
CONDUCTING A RESCUE LIKE THIS.
IT'S A LOT OF TRAINING, AND
IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK.
>> Reporter: WE SAW A LOT OF
THAT IN ACTION. I'M SURE OUR
VIEWERS HAVE A LOT OF SAME
QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE, HOW CAN
SOMETHING HAPPEN LIKE THIS
WHERE THEY ARE SAFEGUARDS PUT
IN PLACE SO THAT A COLLAPSE
LIKE THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN.
INVESTIGATORS ARE NOW WORKING
TO GET SOME OF THOSE ANSWERS.
KIM SMITH WAS ALSO HERE ON THE
SCENE WHILE THAT RESCUE WAS ON
THE WAY AND TALK TO PEOPLE IN
THE AREA.
CAN
>> Reporter: WHEN THE POLICE
TAPE CAME DOWN A SHORT TIME
AGO, WE WERE ABLE TO GET CLOSER
TO THIS ACCIDENT SCENE. TAKE A
LOOK AT WHAT WE FOUND, SOMEONE
LEFT A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS
CLEARLY IN HONOR OF THE WORKER
WHO DIED HERE.
ANOTHER SIGN THAT SO MANY
PEOPLE ARE HEARTBROKEN ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED.
SOME PEOPLE WATCHED THE FRANTIC
RESCUE EFFORTS FROM NEARBY
RESTAURANTS, MANY OF THEM
HAVING LUNCH AT THE TIME.
OTHERS WALKED RIGHT UP TO THE
EDGE OF THE SCENE, DEEPLY
CONCERNED FOR THE WORKERS.
WHEN PEOPLE SAW THE HEAVY
EMERGENCY PRESENCE, THEY TOLD
ME THEY KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG
. WE TALKED TO ONE ONLOOKER WHO
OWNS A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY,
NOT LINKED TO THIS PROJECT WHO
SAYS HE UNDERSTANDS THE HARMS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE
CONSTRUCTION SITES.
>> THE JOBS WE ARE ON, IT IS
ALWAYS POSSIBLE AN INDUSTRIAL
ACCIDENT CAN HAPPEN.
YOU JUST TRAIN AND TEACH YOUR
EMPLOYEES DON'T TAKE
UNNECESSARY RISKS. WORK SAFE,
SLOW, AND STUDY AND WRITE FOR
THE BEST.
>> Reporter: A LOT OF PRAYERS
GOING UP TONIGHT FOR EVERYONE
AFFECTED BY THIS DEADLY TRENCH
COLLECTS COLLAPSE IN THE
SHOPPING CENTER NEAR THE BRIER
CREEK AREA.
THE TRENCH FILLED IN TONIGHT.
TALKING TO SO MANY PEOPLE, SOME
OF THEM WHO HAVE STAYED OUT
HERE FOR HOURS, THEY TOLD ME
TONIGHT THIS IS A SCENE THEY
WILL NOT SOON FORGET.
THIS SCENE WILL STAY WITH THEM
FOR A WHILE, ESPECIALLY
KNOWING A CONSTRUCTION WORKER
LOST HIS LIFE.
>> SUCH A SAD DAY.
KEN SMITH AND ADAM OWENS WITH
LIVE TEAM COVERAGE FROM THE
SCENE.
>>> OUR WRAL INVESTIGATOR
SPENT THE DAY DIGGING THROUGH
THE COMPANY VIOLATIONS AND
FOUND A VERY SIMPLE SIMILAR
ISSUE IN THE PAST.
WE ARE LIVE IN DURHAM NOW TO
EXPLAIN WHAT WE LEARNED.
>> Reporter: DAVID, THE NORTH
CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR,
ALONG WITH OSHA WILL BE
CONDUCTING THIS INVESTIGATION.
SO FAR, LABOR IS NOT YET
CONFIRMING EXACTLY WHICH
COMPANIES THEY ARE GOING TO BE
LOOKING AT.
WE DO KNOW THAT THE ARE MOSTLY
CONSTRUCTION GROUP OUT OF
CHARLOTTE HAD SIGNAGE ON THE
SITE, THE COMPANY SPECIALIZES
IN BUILDING GAS STATIONS. ON
ITS WEBSITE, CONFIRMS MORE THAN
2000 SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS, WITH
AN EMPHASIS ON QUALITY, LOW
RISK CONSTRUCTION.
WE REACHED OUT TO MOSTLY TODAY,
A SPOKESMAN HAD NO COMMENT.
WRAL INVESTIGATES LOOK INTO
THE OSHA SAFETY RECORD, WE
FOUND ABOUT A YEAR AGO THE
COMPANY RECEIVED AN INITIAL
$3700 FUND FOR AERIAL LIFT FOR
A PROJECT IN VIRGINIA.
THAT'S FINE WAS LOWERED TO $2600
. IN 2015, DURING CONSTRUCTION
OF A GAS STATION, THE COMPANY
WAS FINED $600 FOR ANOTHER FALL
PROTECTION VIOLATION.
AFTER A TRENCH COLLAPSE, LABOR
INVESTIGATORS LOOK FOR KEY
FACTORS REGARDING PROTECTION OF
WORKERS.
WAS THERE PROPER SLOPE, OR A
TRENCH BOX, BASICALLY A CAGE
AROUND THOSE WORKERS, IS THE
SOIL TYPE SAFE OR TRENCHING,
ESPECIALLY AFTER RAIN. WAS A
QUALIFIED PERSON SUPERVISING
THE DIGGING, ALSO WAS SOIL
PUSHED AT LEAST TWO FEET AWAY
FROM THE EDGE OF THE TRENCH?
AGAIN, LABOR NOT YET CONFIRMING
THE CONTRACTOR AND
SUBCONTRACTORS THEY ARE
FOCUSING ON.
DAVID, STILL PLENTY OF
QUESTIONS.
>> Reporter: THIS WILL NOT BE A