Touhy Avenue, I-90 reopen after fatal construction accident
DES PLAINES, Ill. (WLS) -- Touhy Avenue reopened between Wolf Road and Lee Street and I-90 reopened in both directions at Touhy late Tuesday night after a deadly construction accident.
Crews worked for hours to clear a 45-ton steel beam that fell across Touhy along the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway in northwest suburban Des Plaines around 2:50 a.m. Tuesday.
The bridge beam was being moved as part of a construction project on the I-90 overpass when it suddenly shifted, killing 47-year-old Vicente Santoyo and injuring three other workers.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the cause and whether all safety standards were followed. OSHA said preliminary reports suggest a strap or chain that was supposed to support the beam may have failed.
"These types of incidents are preventable if the employer is following all OSHA standards and regulations," said Scott Allen, OHSA spokesperson.
Santoyo, who would have turned 48 next week, is survived by his wife and four children.
Friends visited by their home in west suburban Berwyn Tuesday night to pay their respects and offer support.
"He was a good guy. He was a family guy. He did everything for his family, especially for his kids," said Francisco Cervantes, a neighbor.
Santoyo's family does not want to speak on camera.
