Construction business owner dies after fall into trench

The man involved in an accident at a Lebanon County farm Monday morning has died, according to township officials.

Nathan Halteman, 52, owner of Halteman Construction in Bethel Township, died after rescue crews extracted him from an accident where he fell into the bottom of a 15-foot deep trench at a job site at Triple-M-Farms in South Lebanon Township, according to Dauphin County Coroner Graham Hetrick and police and fire officials.

Hetrick said Halteman died of multiple traumatic injuries. He said he believes Halteman died after the accident where he was helping dig a hole for a silo and that it will be ruled an accidental death.

Though the accident happened in Lebanon County, the Dauphin County coroner is handling the death investigation because Halteman died at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

South Lebanon Township Fire Chief Jeff Marley said Halteman was covered to his waist in dirt when rescue crews arrived Monday morning. It took about 10 minutes to free him, and another 10 minutes to get him out of the trench around 10 a.m.

Halteman Construction was at the site performing an excavation job. A message left with the company was not returned Tuesday.

According to officials at Triple-M-Farms, the company was contracted for the job and Halteman was not an employee of the farm. Officials at the farm declined further comment.

South Lebanon Township Police Chief Michael E. Lesher said there would “definitely not” be any criminal charges stemming from the accident.

Officials from the Harrisburg office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration did not immediately return a call for comment Tuesday morning.

Source: Central Penn Business Journal