On Oct. 11, 2012, 28-year-old pipe layer Jeffrey Caron finished his coffee break and jumped back into the trench he'd been working in in North Burnaby.
About 10 minutes later, he was fatally injured when a concrete wall collapsed into the excavation, crushing him against a piece of machinery, according to a WorkSafeBC report.
This week, his foreman and the company he worked for are scheduled to go on trial for his death.
J. Cote & Son Excavating Ltd. has been charged with criminal negligence causing death and criminal negligence causing injury.
David Green, Caron’s foreman, faces an additional charge of manslaughter.
The charges relate to the accident, which took place in a laneway behind 4009 Edinburgh St., where crews were working on a storm and sewer line replacement for the City of Burnaby.
The concrete wall that fell into the excavation killed Caron and seriously injured another pipe layer, Thomas Richer.
WorkSafeBC investigated and forwarded the file on to Burnaby RCMP, but criminal charges weren’t laid until 11 years later, in August 2023.
The trial is scheduled to begin in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Monday.
Check back for updates.
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