Utility worker dead, one other injured after ditch collapses near downtown Perry
A man died in Perry Thursday afternoon after a ditch collapsed onto utility workers, according to the Perry Police Department.
Caleb Smith, 20, of Knoxville, Georgia was working at a ditch near Massee Lane and Cater Avenue south of Main Street near downtown Perry when it collapsed and trapped him, a release from the police department said. Police and firemen arrived and tried to free Smith from the debris, but he died from his injuries at a local hospital.
The collapse injured one other worker who was transported to a Macon hospital for more treatment, the statement said. There was also an active gas leak at the scene that was later capped, police said.
It was unclear in the statement when the collapse happened, though Perry Police department did post about the gas leak in the area at around noon on their Facebook page.
The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Safety Administration were investigating the incident, according to the statement.
If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact Major Heath Dykes at 478-988-2822 or heath.dykes@perry-ga.gov.
