Sister of man killed in construction accident seeks answers

LADY LAKE, Fla. - The family of a construction worker killed on the job is speaking for the first time. Their loved one, John Terranova, died on Feb. 2 while working on a bridge construction project in Lady Lake. The family is hoping for closure. 

"It’s indescribable. It’s not something that you can really describe unless you’ve experienced," said John’s sister, Alexandrea McGough. "It’s hard. We just lost my Dad in October on top of it."

Lady Lake Police say the 27-year-old was killed after the walls of a freshly dug hole caved in on him. The experienced construction worker was a subcontractor on the Florida Department of Transportation road widening project along U.S. Highway 441.  It took emergency crews 10 hours to recover his body. 

Lady Lake Police don’t suspect foul play. 

"Really at this point, right now, I’m just wanting to know what happened because my brother did not fall in a hole willingly. That’s not even possible when you’ve got a four-year-old at home waiting for him," said McGough. 

Terranova’s family has hardly slept since his passing. They say he suffocated to death but haven’t received a clear answer on how an accident like this could have happened and if all the safety precautions were being followed.  

"He was loving and caring, and I mean he would give you the shirt off his back. He cared for people too much, and I think that’s why this happened," said McGough. 

The family say John was the sole financial supporter for his girlfriend and son. They have started a GoFundMe to help support them through this difficult time. 

John will be laid to rest on Saturday. 

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