Man crushed to death at Brooklyn construction site remembered as hardworking father, ‘overall great guy’
A man who was crushed to death by a 2,000-pound piece of machinery at a Brooklyn construction site was remembered Tuesday as a kind neighbor and hard-working father.
“Overall great guy,” neighbor John Pietz said of victim Pape Khoule. “Outgoing, very generous, a loving guy.”
Khoule, 46, lived in Elizabeth, N.J., with his wife and young children, according to members of his community.
He died while on the job at an under-construction apartment building on Java St. near West St. in Greenpoint on Monday morning, officials said.
The 14-story project was in its beginning stages as workers used an excavator to move pipes, a Department of Buildings spokesperson said.
While Khoule was fastening straps to an excavator, a large piece of its arm broke and crushed him, the spokesperson said. He died at the scene.
Neighbors who didn’t personally know Khoule recognized him by his meticulously landscaped home, which stands out on the block.
Others knew him as a kind, thoughtful man who went out of his way for those on his street.
“A good man,” said Pietz, 34. “Every time we saw him, he was either on his way to work, on his way home or working on the house for his family.”
Despite a grueling 12-hour-plus schedule, Khoule would help friends and neighbors whenever he could.
“Sometimes, I would come out for a cigarette and he would put our garbage cans back for us,” said Pietz. “When he would go to the store, he would ask if I needed anything.
“Every time I saw him, he always had a smile on his face,” the neighbor added.
Pietz said he regularly worked with Khoule on home improvement work in New Jersey and doubted he could have been at fault in the tragic accident.
“He knew what the hell he was doing,” Pietz said. “He worked with all types of tools over here. He’s been doing it for years.”
Khoule and his wife immigrated to the United States from West Africa about 20 years ago. Pietz believes they had four children, all under age 10.
“It’s still hard to believe that I’m not gonna see him again,” Pietz said. “The sad part about it is it’s hard on his kids ... it’s a tough situation for a child to lose their father at such a young age.”
