Wesley Cain, Billy Titsworth Killed in Tyler, TX, Work Accident
Tyler, TX -- February 17, 2017, Wesley Ray Cain and Billy Titsworth were killed after an accident where they were electrocuted by a downed power line.
According to Tyler Police investigators, the incident occurred at around 3:00 a.m. in the 1000 block of Southeast Loop 323.
Reports indicate that at around 1:30 a.m., a Dodge Ram went off-road and crashed into a utilities pole, knocking it over. The driver of the pickup then fled the scene.
Later, Oncor sent out two contractors from Willbros T&D Services. Those contractors were 34-year-old Cain and 42-year-old Titsworth. They went to the scene to fix the line, and the power was supposed to have been shut off. For some reason, it was not.
One of the victims made contact with the power line, then making contact with the other worker. They were both electrocuted, and EMS says they died at the scene.
Authorities say they are not sure why the power was not off, and they are continuing to investigate the accident. Tyler Police say the driver that hit the pole was later found and taken into custody.
No further information is currently available.
Map of the Area
Commentary
There are a lot of unanswered questions surrounding this accident. Who was supposed to shut off the electricity? Why didn't that happen? Did the two workers have proper training and safety equipment? Were they told the electricity was turned off? Was there a supervisor at the scene?
Work accidents like this one often leave a lot to the imagination, and that shouldn't be acceptable. Only a thorough investigation uncovering all of the details surrounding the accident is sufficient enough. If the police or OSHA officials can't accomplish that, then that warrants further investigation by an independent professional. If there are any problems surrounding the incident that could harm others in the future, then that needs to be addressed and remedied as soon as possible.
--Grossman Law Offices
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