Worker Dies as Steel Trusses Fall at Michigan School Construction Site | Engineering News-Record

A photo of the aftermath of the accident shows steel beams on the ground of a gymnasium being built in Potterville, Mich.

Photo courtesy of the Benton Township Fire Dept.

A 27-year-old construction worker has died and another in his mid-thirties was severely injured after steel trusses fell on them at a gymnasium construction project at a high school in Potterville, Mich.

The two men were working for a subcontractor, Eagle Enterprise of Eagle, Mich., when the accident at Potterville High School occurred around 2:15 p.m. June 16. The construction manager for the project is Clark Construction.

“They were putting in steel trusses in a cinder block building. Two trusses had come down so they went on to an aerial lift to secure the trusses and that’s when four or five trusses fell on to the lift,” said Benton Township Fire Dept. Captain Rick Sullivan who responded to the incident.

One worker, Dylan Kemp, died the next day. The other worker, whose name has not been released, is still in critical condition, said Sullivan estimating that the workers fell about 45 ft to the ground.

The Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration (MIOSHA), which is investigating the incident, says in its initial findings that other steel trusses had fallen to the ground a few hours before the fatal incident.

The agency states that “as the two employees were in an aerial lift going up to reinforce the trusses on a second attempt, several unsecured steel trusses fell ... [and struck the workers], trapping them in the aerial lift resulting in them both being hospitalized.”

Robert LaLonde, president of Clark Construction, said the company is saddened by the incident and is cooperating with MIOSHA on the investigation.

"We are heartbroken to confirm that one of the workers injured during an incident at the Potterville High School construction site has passed away," LaLonde said. "Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and all those impacted by this tragic loss. The second individual remains hospitalized, and we are respecting the privacy of those involved."

Mike Krafcik, a communications specialist for the agency, said the investigation may take several weeks to a month to complete.

Of 14 workplace fatalities investigated by the state agency in 2025, eight have occurred in the construction industry, Krafcik noted.

Eagle Enterprise did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Annemarie Mannion is editor of ENR Midwest, which covers 11 states. She joined ENR in 2022 and reports from Chicago.