Merced County investigators released the identity of a North
Dakota man as they stepped up their probe into a bizarre electrical
accident that killed the man Monday.
The death of Darin Siegfried, 29, of Mandan, N.D., is being
ruled an industrial accident, Merced County Undersheriff William
Blake said.
Merced County investigators released the identity of a North Dakota man as they stepped up their probe into a bizarre electrical accident that killed the man Monday.
The death of Darin Siegfried, 29, of Mandan, N.D., is being ruled an industrial accident, Merced County Undersheriff William Blake said.
“This is strictly being viewed as an industrial accident,” Blake said.
Siegfried was an employee with International Line Builders, a company based in Portland, Ore., that contracts with Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
International Line Builders has been a part of PG&E’s ongoing infrastructure restoration program. Its contract projects total about $34 million.
Blake said the accident happened when Siegfried and other construction crews were installing a series of poles and high power lines on Dinosaur Point Road near the intersection of Pacheco Pass Highway.
Siegfried had reportedly driven a pole into the soil to act as a grounding wire in the event of an accidental discharge. The electricity would be sent into the soil and not the people near the power line.
However, when Siegfried reached for a tool, it brushed against a deactivated line and released a large surge of static electricity and electrocuted Siegfried.
“They said he made a better ground than the ground wire the tool was attached to,” Blake said.
Although Siegfried was not a PG&E employee, PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said this type of accident was rare.
“In terms of something like this, it’s pretty rare because of all the precautions we take,” Smith said. “We don’t see a lot of injuries.”
However, Smith said whenever someone works with such high levels of voltage, some danger is inherent.
“It’s very dangerous work that they do,” Smith said. “In effect, they are risking their lives every day.”
In 2002, International Line Builders reportedly had one of the lowest accident rates in the country for similar power line construction companies, investigators said.
An autopsy will be conducted by this afternoon to determine the exact cause of death, investigators said.
