Construction Worker Dies in Columbia Cave-In

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Authorities say a 61-year-old worker has been crushed to death after a hole caved in on him at a Columbia construction site. Investigators said Jerry Garrett of Easley was using an excavator to dig up contaminated soil at the site near downtown around 2 p.m. Monday when the incident happened. Richland County Coroner Gary Watts says Garrett got out of the machine and walked into the hole with another worker. As the other employee walked away, he heard a noise and saw the dirt fall on Garrett. Watts says other workers tried to dig Garrett out, but he died at a hospital about an hour later. The coroner’s office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident.