Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A 52-year-old delivery driver was severely injured Tuesday morning when he was pinned under a tipped forklift at a construction site on East Shore Road in Great Neck, according to fire officials and the project’s contractor. The unidentified worker suffered crushing injuries to his chest and left arm while offloading materials at the site around 9:06 a.m., when the Vigilant Fire Company of Great Neck received the 911 call.
The incident occurred at 365 East Shore Road, where crews are constructing a four-story, 64-unit luxury apartment building on the former site of a village sewer plant. First responders arrived at the scene at 9:10 a.m., just four minutes after the emergency call, according to Scott MacDonald, Vigilant’s chief of department. Rescue crews used a piece of construction equipment to lift the forklift off the trapped worker and moved him into an ambulance within minutes of their arrival.
The Vigilant Fire Company of Great Neck transported the injured driver in stable condition to North Shore University Hospital, MacDonald said. Multiple agencies responded to the emergency, including the Great Neck Alert Fire Company and the Nassau County Police Department. The worker was actively engaged in delivery operations when the forklift tipped over, trapping him underneath the heavy machinery.
Manhattan-based Triton Construction serves as the general contractor for the residential development project, which is being developed by Great Neck-based Villadom Corp. The site represents a significant redevelopment effort, with crews recently beginning excavation and foundation work on what will become a substantial addition to the area’s housing stock. Triton Construction has an extensive portfolio, having managed millions of square feet of construction projects throughout the New York metropolitan area, ranging from skyscrapers to Long Island school buildings.
“The safety and well-being of everyone on our sites is our top priority, and our thoughts are with the individual involved,” Lance Franklin, Triton’s co-CEO, said in an email to Newsday. The company indicated it would fully cooperate with all agencies reviewing the incident. Both village Building Department officials and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration representatives visited the construction site on Tuesday to begin their respective investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The forklift accident highlights ongoing safety concerns at construction sites throughout New York State. According to the latest data from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, the rate of worker fatalities rose 8% to 10.4 per 100,000 workers in 2023, with 74 construction worker deaths statewide. The membership organization, which includes workers’ rights groups, unions and community organizations, published these findings in a report last year that documented the increasing dangers faced by construction workers.
Location & Road Context
The construction site at 365 East Shore Road sits on property that previously housed a village sewer plant, marking a significant transformation of municipal infrastructure into residential housing. East Shore Road serves as a key thoroughfare in Great Neck, connecting residential neighborhoods with the village’s commercial districts and providing access to waterfront areas along the Long Island Sound.
The location’s conversion from municipal use to luxury residential development represents typical redevelopment patterns in Nassau County communities, where older infrastructure sites are being repurposed to address housing demand. The four-story, 64-unit apartment building under construction will significantly increase the density of the immediate area, requiring careful coordination of construction traffic and materials delivery on the residential street.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Both village Building Department officials and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration representatives conducted site visits on Tuesday as part of their investigations into the forklift accident. OSHA’s involvement indicates the incident meets federal criteria for workplace safety review, which typically occurs when workers suffer serious injuries requiring hospitalization or when equipment failures result in significant harm.
The investigation will likely examine factors including equipment maintenance records, operator certification, site safety protocols, and whether proper procedures were followed during the materials offloading process. Triton Construction’s commitment to cooperate with investigating agencies suggests the company is prepared to provide documentation and access necessary for a thorough review of safety practices at the site.