A tragic industrial accident took the life of a construction worker in Saratoga Springs.
The Saratoga Springs Police Department responded to an urgent call at the corner of 800 West and 1200 North yesterday afternoon; when they arrived on the scene they found a worker pinned under a machine. He died before they could get him medical attention.
Construction sites are always dangerous because of all the heavy machinery. The deceased is 31-year-old Nicholas Blatnick of Salt Lake City. He was working for a subcontractor on a Questar Gas project. Witnesses say he was pulled into an Asphalt Zipper while his crew was digging up a portion of the roadway in Saratoga Springs. Workers on the scene tried to turn off the machine as quickly as possible and immediately called 911.
The Saratoga Springs P.D. released a statement saying that workers did everything they could on scene to avoid any further injury to the victim, but they were unable to revive Blatnick. The project is suspended indefinitely, and police say there is no timetable right now for when workers will get back on the job.
Police and officials are now turning their attention to how this accident came about.
Police were at the scene until late last night looking for answers.