1 killed, 2 injured in construction accident at Joe Davis Stadium

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Hearts are heavy in Huntsville after a construction accident claimed the life of a Huntsville city employee and injured two others.

Bobby Green is dead. He was just 55 years old. He was one of three people working in a 20-foot trench to install a massive storm drainage pipe to service the north end of John Hunt Park.

The Huntsville fire chief says it’s likely he died before they arrived.

The collapse happened Thursday afternoon.

“A situation like this is extremely difficult, because as simple as it sounds there are so many things that could go wrong. If you get enough people standing around walking you could cause a second collapse,” Mac McFarlen said.

Huntsville fire chief Mac McFarlen says rescue workers are highly trained and were prepared to respond.

“We do have one fatality, but we were able to pretty quickly compared to a scene like that get the other two victims out with no further injury to them. And the department and I attribute to our guys practicing, practicing and practicing and doing it again. I watched them work and it was like a well-oiled football team,” McFarlen said.

The first man was able to move and reach a ladder. McFarlen says crews got creative to reach the second man.

“Our guys were thinking outside of the box, they said, ‘we could go down, go through the pipes, get him, and come back to through the pipes. So we were able to get to him that way,” he explained.

However, McFarlen believes Green died before crews were able to reach him.

“Everyone on scene played a part. Played their part. Did as well as they possibly could to try to come out with a different outcome. I don’t know anything else we could have done,” he said.

As far as what caused the collapse? It’s still unknown, however, the city of Huntsville and the Fire Department are investigating.

“The City of Huntsville mourns the loss of one of our valued members of our Public Works team,” Mayor Tommy Battle said. “I ask that our City family and the Huntsville community pray for the families of Bobby Green and for the two employees who were injured. Bobby will be missed by many.”

Watch the full briefing below:

Copyright 2021 WAFF. All rights reserved.