Company Head Charged In Teen's Death At McLean Construction Site

MCLEAN, VA — The owner of Digges Development Corporation was indicted Monday in relation to a teenage worker's death at a McLean construction site over the summer.

A grand jury indicted Thomas Digges, 48, of McLean on charges of involuntary manslaughter and cruelty and injuries to children. He turned himself in at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on Thursday and was released on his own recognizance.

The charges followed a Fairfax County Police investigation into the death of Spencer Lunde, 16 on July 23. The worker became trapped in a ditch that collapsed at a construction site in the 1800 block of Solitaire Lane. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An adult man was also in the ditch when it collapsed and had non-life-threatening injuries.

Virginia labor law prohibits minors from working in trenches that exceed four feet in depth. NBC Washington previously reported the incident involved a 15-foot trench. Detectives worked with investigators from the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry on the case.