Construction workers electrocuted at site of new Forrest City truckstop

Five construction workers and two Arkansas Concrete employees were electrocuted early Thursday morning as they showed up for work at a new truck stop being built on the Highway 1 Bypass in Forrest City. Once they were able to reach the victims, first responders assessed all their injuries before some were transported by ambulances to Forrest City Medical Center. Others were transported by personal vehicle to FCMC. As of press time, they were reportedly stabilized and three of the victims had been airlifted to the Regional One Medical Center in Memphis in stable condition. According to Forrest City Fire Department Chief Jeremy Sharp, a pump truck boom operator for Arkansas Concrete caught the boom in power lines near the site causing the electrocution. "We received the call at around 5:30 a.m.," said Sharp. "The construction crew was out there, along with two truck drivers and a boom operator from Arkansas Concrete, pouring the rest of the concrete for the site. They were using a concrete pump truck with a boom. The boom operator was operating the boom out over the top of the high line wires. While operating the boom, he got it into the high line wires." Sharp stated that two of the seven victims were employees of Arkansas Concrete, but as of press time, the Times-Herald was unable to retrieve the names of the two local men. "When he did that, all of the electricity went through the wet concrete, into the pump truck and it electrocuted some folks," said Sharp. "Two of the Arkansas Concrete workers were taken to the hospital here for minor injuries. They were standing next to their trucks when it happened, dumping concrete and the electricity moved through that wet concrete. The boom operator was operating it remotely and was not injured. When he saw it happen, he quickly was able to get the boom away from the wires." According to Sharp, the five Hispanic construction workers were standing in the wet concrete when the electricity passed through it. "There were five construction workers who were electrocuted," said Sharp. "They were standing in the new concrete. When the electricity came through the boom, it went into the wet concrete because it naturally conducts electricity. There were two Arkansas Concrete trucks sitting there at the time that it happened. Those two drivers were taken by personal vehicle to the hospital. Seven people were transported and three of them were airlifted to the Med in Memphis after being stabilized in Forrest City." Sharp said that when first responders arrived to the scene the scene was safe, as the boom operator had gotten the boom freed from the power lines. "You never really know the extent of these types of injuries," said Sharp. "At the scene, you wouldn't have guessed they were life threatening injuries, but when electricity goes in, it comes out of another part. It burns all the way through the body. Since the boom operator was able to get the boom out of the high line wires quickly, first responders were able to get to the victims quickly. The scene was safe when everybody got out there." According to Sharp, the FCFD worked in tandem with the Emergency Medical Services of Arkansas organization as well as the Forrest City Police Department during the emergency situation. "The concrete guys were wearing rubber boots, but they aren't rubber boots like what you would think," said Sharp. "Electricity will still go through those. If they were out there using tools to pull that concrete with, it would have gone through that tool and into the hands before going to the ground. We arrived on scene and assisted EMSA. Woodruff was out there because it was their line and we had assistance from the Forrest City Police Department." Bailee Jackson, the Marketing Director for the FCMC, stated that the hospital takes electrocution very seriously due to the fact that internal injuries do not always present in a visible form. "We take electrocutions very seriously, even if we can't see major issues on the outside," said Jackson. "You never know what that electrocution could have done to the heart. Four individuals were brought to the ER and cared for here. The remaining three transferred to another hospital."

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