Authorities have released new information surrounding the tragic death of a construction worker who was killed in a heavy machinery accident outside Lowe’s on Knox Avenue on Sunday, June 22.
According to a detailed incident report from North Augusta Public Safety, 43-year-old Ray C. Straight of West Virginia died after being run over by a piece of construction equipment while working on-site to repave the Lowe’s parking lot.
Emergency crews responded around 5:01 p.m., with Cpl. J. Waldrop and several Public Safety Officers arriving within minutes to find Straight suffering from catastrophic injuries. Officers noted massive bleeding from his head, mouth, and right leg, and began life-saving measures, including applying a tourniquet, assisted respirations, and trauma care. Despite their efforts, Straight’s condition quickly declined. EMS later pronounced him dead at the scene.
A witness, April Dickerson, told investigators that Straight had been standing on the back ladder of a milling machine without the operator’s knowledge. When the machine began reversing, she said, Straight slipped and was run over up to his chest by the heavy tracks of the equipment.
The Aiken County Coroner’s Office and North Augusta Detective Travis Smith are continuing the investigation.
