SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - A state agency is proposing $17,500 in fines for five serious violations it found in investigating the death of a man who was struck by a tree while clearing land at the University of Notre Dame.
Twenty-two-year-old Mark Ellisworth of Mishawaka was killed Nov. 21 while clearing land for a parking lot.
The Indiana Department of Labor says Ellisworth’s employer, R&R Excavating, failed to ensure workers were organized or spaced properly so someone wouldn’t walk into an area where a tree was falling. The Mishawaka company also allegedly did not instruct each employee in how to avoid dangerous situations.
A woman answering the telephone at R&R Excavating on Friday declined comment. The company has 15 days after receiving notification of the proposed fines to either pay or challenge the findings.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.