Local News
Related Photos
-
Photo courtesy Al Contreras
Guest book
Worker suffers critical injuries at Wal-Mart site
Lebanon — An investigation by the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration is possible after a KB Electric employee was shocked by 440 volts of electricity on the construction site for the new Wal-Mart store Wednesday afternoon.
The unidentified 33-year-old man received the severe shock to the face after falling into an electrically charged control panel, either by slipping or by a smaller shock that caused him to fall, said Lebanon Fire Department Captain Mike Spidel.
“He somehow got into the wrong place,” Spidel said.
The man was seizing and unconscious when LFD responded, Spidel said. He was placed in a Boone County Emergency Services ambulance and taken from the work site to a Life Line helicopter that landed in the Wal-Mart parking lot.
He was sedated and paralyzed when placed in the helicopter, Spidel said, with stable vitals but grave injuries.
The employee had soft tissue injuries, including second-degree burns on his left shoulder, a burned left ear and a large laceration reaching from his forehead to cheek, possibly from the fall. He was flown to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
IOSHA spokesman Sean Keefer said they must investigate if three or more employees are injured on the job or if there is a fatal accident. At this point, there is no investigation planned, but that may change if there is a complaint, a referral, or if the injured man dies.
Al Contreras of Mechanicsburg was in town on the way to the a mechanic when he saw the Life Line helicopter overhead. He stopped to see what was going on.
“People were practically tripping over each other,” he said. “A lot of (Wal-Mart) employees were out on the sidewalk, and people were being roped off by the cops.”
Contreras happened to have his camera with him and began taking pictures. He stopped soon after when an emotional co-worker or relative of the injured man told him that this wasn’t “a show.”
“It was a real somber environment,” Contreras said.
He was surprised to see the Life Line helicopter be completely turned off. Usually, Contreras said, they put the person in quickly and take off. But this time, the helicopter sat idle for a while.
“But they definitely weren’t fooling around,” he said.
Due to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) laws, Methodist Hospital was unable to release the man’s name. Lebanon Police did not file a report because there was no criminal activity, LPD Public Information Officer Brent Wheat said. LFD filed a medical run report, but the report does not require the department to have the man’s name, which they did not have, Spidel said.
Later Wednesday afternoon, Spidel said the man was transferred to Wishard Hospital’s burn unit in critical but stable condition.
- Local News
-
-
Boone County 4-H program honors 10-year members
Boone County 4-H 10-year members were recognized during a special program in the Witham Health Services Pavilion at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds Wednesday.
-
Grand champ lamb goes for $11,000
After bids for Samuel Mattingly’s grand champion market lamb languished in the low four figures for several minutes at Thursday’s Boone County 4-H Fair Livestock Auction, someone on the right side of the floor at the Witham Health Services Pavilion decided it was time to speed things along.
-
Local celebrities race for Kiwanis Saturday
Ten celebrity racers were signed up to race in the Lebanon Kiwanis Grand Prix as of Wednesday, but Donna Boyland of the Kiwanis is expecting several more to sign up before Saturday’s big race.
-
Taken by surprise
After hours of working with a menagerie of animals in front of a series of judges, it took Austin Chandler an extra moment to realize that it was his name announced as the 2010 Boone County 4-H Supreme Showmanship Contest winner.
-
Kise fire victims need help moving
Some residents of apartments destroyed in a fire Sunday at Kise Estates, in the 1900 block of Lafayette Avenue, have been told they must move out by tomorrow, and they have encountered an unusual problem — a shortage of rental trucks and trailers.
-
Gentry, Chandler tops at swine show
Stephen Gentry and Austin Chandler took top honors at the 2010 Boone County 4-H swine show Tuesday at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds.
-
Nicley done, redux
The 2010 4-H dairy show started without a hitch Monday afternoon, and it ended rather Nicley.
-
Poultry project popularity growing
Tuesday marked the largest poultry show ever at the Boone County 4-H Fair, said project leader Doug Akers. More than 300 birds were entered by 80 members.
-
LFD’s third station to open in spring
Construction of a $2.25 million public safety building on Hall-Baker Road should begin this September, with completion next spring.
-
Park pool hours will change next month
Hours of operation are changing at the Memorial Park Pool.
- More Local News Headlines
-
