Road Construction Worker Dies of Injuries

A highway contractor who while working on the expansion of Route 412 through South Bethlehem has died, a company spokesman said.

Chris Burch, 29, of West Berlin, N.J., had worked for HRI Inc. since April, according to Andy Renfrew, a company spokesman.

A 2,000-pound section of concrete highway barrier fell on Burch near Rustic Exteriors at 1866 Auburn St., according to The Express Times, 

Workers freed Burch from the barrier before emergency crews arrived to take him to St. Luke's Hospital, according to a Morning Call report.

Burch was pronounced dead at 3:47 p.m. Tuesday in the emergency department of St. Luke's Hospital-Bethlehem. The Lehigh County coroner ruled his death an accident due to multiple blunt force injuries.

HRI is conducting an internal investigation into the incident and is also cooperating with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania State Police and local authorities who are also investigating.

HRI has been contracted by PennDOT to expand and widen from two lanes to five from the Interstate 78 interchange north to Daly Avenue.