Worker Dies After Trench Floods in Baltimore
By: Todd Karpovich
Source: Baltimore Sun (TNS)
Video: WJZ
A 50-year-old man died after a trench collapse Tuesday morning in Baltimore County, officials said.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the 9800 block of Lyons Mill Road in Owings Mills around 8:30 a.m. following reports of a need for a trench rescue, according to the Baltimore County Fire Department.
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Investigators said Luis Medrano, a worker for Dance Brothers Concrete Construction, was digging in a trench when pressurized water suddenly began spraying into the hole, quickly flooding the area. A wall of the trench then partially gave way, causing a significant amount of soil to fall on Medrano, according to Baltimore County Police.
Co-workers were able to extract him from the debris but he was later pronounced dead at the scene.
The most recently issued building permit for that portion of Lyons Mill is Deer Park Elementary School, including grading work, according to Baltimore County building permit data. A new Deer Park Elementary is expected to open fall 2026, boosting the school’s capacity from 431 students to 710.
“I am writing to inform you that a contractor’s employee was involved in a fatal accident at a construction site on school property this morning,” wrote Deer Park Principal Renee Jenkins in a message to the school community. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the contractor.”
Officials with Dance Brothers Concrete could not be reached for comment. The school property is temporarily closed to public access, according to Jenkins’ message.
Maryland Occupational Safety and Health, part of the state’s Department of Labor and Industry, and Baltimore County Police responded to the site and are investigating.
Baltimore Sun reporter Raquel Bazos contributed to this article.
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