Rafters fall in rapid succession at construction site, crushing worker, TN cops say
A falling ceiling truss at a construction site created a domino affect, leading to a man being crushed under nearly two dozen trusses, according to investigators in Tennessee.
The worker was identified as 41-year-old Joseph Kyle Lesko, according to Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris.
It happened at approximately 12:52 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, near the town of Baxter, about a 75-mile drive east from Nashville.
“Lesko, a Putnam County native, was part of a construction crew working on the construction of a new ... home,” Farris said in a news release.
“Lesko was working on the roof area ... where there were several trusses in a temporary holding position, in order to be permanently installed. When one of the trusses fell, it caused a domino affect of 20 or more trusses to fall and pin Lesko underneath.”
He likely died instantly under the weight and momentum of falling frames, Farris said.
“This was an accident that turned into a sad and tragic loss of life,” Farris said. “Deputies, fire, EMS and rescue personnel responded immediately, but the weight and force of the trusses were tremendous and too much to overcome.”
Maps show the home was under construction in a rural area southwest of Baxter, near Interstate 40.