Construction Worker Killed by Falling Wood Plank

A 71-year-old contractor working on the demolition of a house in Ridgewood died from his injuries nine days after a wooden plank struck him on the head, said Friday.

On the afternoon of June 14, self-employed contractor Carl S. Taylor, 71, of Sussex, was washing away debris from a house demolition on Sunset Avenue when a plank dropped from the second floor and struck him directly on the head, according to the report. Taylor was not wearing a hard hat at the time, police said. He was transported to and died from his injuries June 23, police told Patch.

At the time of the incident, two other men said they were operating excavators and knocking down pieces of the house when they saw the plank fall, police said. The pair then saw Taylor on the ground, suffering from severe head trauma, according to the report.

The workers, of Paramus-based J&J Builders, provided police verbal statements on scene but refused to provide a written account at the police station. Representatives of J&J Builders could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was notified of the incident, Ridgewood detectives said. Police are still investigating Taylor's death. No charges have been filed.

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