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Man dead after construction accident at Cleveland State University

Posted at 4:26 PM, Oct 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-12 12:06:07-04

A construction worker died when a concrete panel fell on his head at a Cleveland State University work site Wednesday. 

Gilbane Construction Company said a worker, who was assigned at 2300 Chester Avenue on a renovation project, was hit by a falling object around 2:15 p.m.

Cleveland police say the concrete fell on 56-year-old Joseph Matulis, who died from his injuries.

A witness who was at the scene said he was on top of a ladder in the basement when he heard a loud noise. When he went to see what happened, he said he could not recognize the injured person, because of the massive head trauma. He told police he began screaming for "Joe" but could not find him. 

The witness called EMS and kept others away from the scene. He identified the victim as the person they could not find at the site.

Another witness said he was also at the scene operating the Aerial Lift outside of the building. He told police the crew was installing a panel that was being taken off because four of the six holes were not lining up. He told police that while the panel was being removed, it slipped and fell.