Worker dies after construction slab falls on him

A concrete slab fell on a man at a southeast Austin construction site, killing him. 

WATCH ATCEMS RESPONDS AFTER WORKER IS TRAPPED UNDER CONCRETE SLABS

It happened Wednesday, August 9 at the corner of Wickersham Lane and Cromwell Circle where a high-rise apartment complex is being built. According to ATCEMS, the accident happened at a parking garage which is part of the complex. 

Residents who live nearby say the area is typically noisy but this time what they heard was different. 

"Yeah, this actually sounded like something fell, like something really hit something hard, on top of something else. It wasn't just a smack like a dump truck shaking its load, it was loud like it fell on top of something," said Monica Arocha who lives in the surrounding area. 

The noise came from concrete t-bar slabs that are designed for the parking garage at the complex. 

They fell off a flatbed tractor trailer rig registered to a independent operator from Cedar Park. 

Witnesses tell FOX 7 the driver was standing next to the trailer at the time and was crushed. 

It is estimated that the thick slabs of concrete weighed about 30-thousand pounds. Emergency crews used sledge hammers, saws, and rebar cutters to break apart the concrete. 

It took a little more than three hours to recover the body. 

Representatives with OSHA are investigating this alongside the Austin Police Department. A spokesman for OSHA said there would be no updates until their investigation was completed. 

The name of the truck driver has not been released at this time.