Construction worker in Queens dies after being struck by equipment, police say
Oct. 9, 2024, 8:23 a.m.
Paulo Couto was working on a sewer main in Queens when he was killed according to the NYPD
A construction worker was struck and killed by equipment at a site in Queens on Monday, according to police who are investigating the death.
Paulo Couto, 54, was working on a water sewage system underground near 31st Street and 34th Avenue in Astoria at around 10:20 a.m. Monday when a piece of equipment fell and hit him in the head, police said.
First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
NYPD officials said Couto was an employee of a private company, but could not specify which company it was. Police also did not know exactly what piece of equipment fell, or how the incident occurred.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine exactly how Couto died while police continue to investigate, officials said.
Couto lived in Howell, New Jersey, according to police.
This is a developing story based on information from police and may be updated.
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