Hayden man dies after construction site accident

Police investigate the scene of a construction accident Friday morning next to Slopeside Grill in Steamboat Springs. Hayden resident Brady Meier died in the accident.

Man was working on project next to Slopeside Grill when fatally injured

By Matt Stensland

Updated October 9, 2009 at 3:11 p.m.

Share this Email, Facebook, Twitter
Discuss 5 comments

Steamboat Springs — A 29-year-old Hayden man died today after a construction site accident at the base of Mount Werner.

Brady Meier was pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m. at Yampa Valley Medical Center, Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg said. The cause of death has not been determined, but it is believed that Meier was struck somewhere on his body with a fitting from a pressurized water line.

Ryg said an autopsy will be performed in Jefferson County to determine an exact cause of death.

Emergency responders were initially paged to the Steamboat Ski Area base at about 10 a.m. for a report of a man who had been electrocuted. It was later determined that the man had been struck by a brass fitting on a water line, police said.

The accident occurred at the site of the Urban Renewal Authority's public improvement project on the north side of the base area next to Slopeside. Duckels Construction has been contracted to replace a sewer line and prepare for the installation of a Burgess Creek diversion structure.

According to police scanner communications, co-workers were giving mouth-to-mouth to the man when paramedics arrived. Meier had a weak pulse when paramedics arrived but was not breathing.

Duckels Construction owner Fred Duckels arrived at the site after the accident and helped police with the investigation.

Duckels said Meier was trying to turn on a water valve inside a utility vault when a compression cap on another water line blew off and hit him. Duckels said the fitting had recently been tested.

"You can take care of the safety, but that was kind of a freak thing," Duckels said.

Duckels said Meier had worked for him for about two years and recently had built a house in Hayden. Meier's wife had been contacted and was at the hospital, Duckels said.

Steamboat Springs Police Sgt. Dale Coyner said the preliminary investigation gives no indication of foul play. Ryg said it appeared Meier's death was an accident.

Coyner said detectives were sealing the accident scene and an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigator was expected to arrive at the scene later today.