Wichita Falls Man Killed at Hospital Site

A tragic accident at the construction site for the new Olney Hamilton Hospital claimed the life of a 53-year-old man from Wichita Falls late Monday morning.

Olney police responded to the scene at 11:21 a.m., where they found the worker, identified as David Temple, deceased.

According to Olney Police Chief Dan Birbeck, the fatal incident occurred while two pieces of heavy machinery — a front-end loader and a bulldozer — were working in tandem to grade the site. The victim was on foot, helping ensure the grade was level when the bulldozer, reversing in coordination with the loader, knocked him to the ground and rolled over him.

“There were injuries that were incompatible with life,” Chief Birbeck said. “When officers arrived on scene, it was clear that nothing could be done.”

Olney Hamilton Hospital officials had no comment.

Dave Lilley, chief executive of Trinity Hughes, said all work on the site was suspended for the remainder of the week while the incident was investigated by the applicable regulatory agencies, local authorities and internal safety personnel.

“Work resumed in full on Monday, June 9 and there is no delay in the overall construc- tion schedule,” he said.

Mr. Temple was employed by a subcontractor for Skiles, the construction management firm overseeing the hospital project. He had worked with the subcontracting company for eight years. Chief Birbeck noted this was the company’s first workplace fatality in more than 20 years of operations.

“There were no signs of impairment on the part of the driver,” Chief Birbeck added. “The driver was very shaken up — what we would expect to see in a situation like this.”

The construction timeline for the new hospital is projected at 16 months.