Worker who fell 8 stories to death remembered as 'best big brother ever'

ME THIS NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH DAVID'S YOUNGER BROTHER EARLIER THIS MORNING, WHO SAYS DAVID WAS AN AMAZING ROLE MODEL, THE HARDEST WORKER AND SOMEONE THAT HIS YOUNGER BROTHER KEVIN ALWAYS ADMIRED. KEVIN O'DONNELL IS TAKING LIFE AN HOUR AT A TIME. >> THIS MORNING, AFTER HIS 27 YEAR OLD BROTHER, DAVID O'DONNELL, FELL EIGHT STORIES TO HIS DEATH, JUST ONE DAY AGO, WORKING ON THE NEW UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CANCER PAVILION. THIS IS JUST UNIMAGINED OF WHAT'S HAPPENED TO US. >> IT'S DEVASTATING. MY PARENTS ARE ARE HORRIBLY CRUSHED BY THIS. WE SPOKE WITH KEVIN IN SOUTH SUBURBAN OAK FOREST, WHERE DAVID WAS BORN AND RAISED THE HARDEST WORKING GUY I EVER KNOWN. HE HE WAS GREAT TO LOOK UP TO IT. JUST SEEING HIM. HE WENT TO WORK EVERY DAY. HE WORKED HIS, WORKED HIS BUTT OFF AND I'M JUST SO PROUD OF HIM. >> AUTHORITIES SAY O'DONNELL AND ANOTHER WORKER FELL FROM A SCAFFOLD WHILE WINDS WERE GUSTING AT UPWARDS OF 40MPH. O'DONNELL WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD ON SCENE WHILE THE OTHER WORKER WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH CRITICAL INJURIES. KEVIN SAYS HE FOUND OUT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED MOMENTS AFTER GETTING HOME FROM WORK. >> I WALKED IN TO FIND OUT FROM MY MOTHER THAT MY BROTHER PASSED AWAY, DAVID'S FATHER DID NOT WANT TO SPEAK ON CAMERA, BUT SAYS HIS SON WORKED FOR HIM AS A TECHNICAL ENGINEER AT HIS COMPANY. >> HIGH TECH STAKEOUT. IN A STATEMENT, DAVID'S FATHER SAYS, QUOTE, MY SON WAS A GOOD PERSON AND A GREAT MAN. I LOVE HIM DEARLY. SO MANY PEOPLE DO. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE AT WORK, AND NOW MY SON IS NEVER COMING HOME AGAIN. AS KEVIN HONORS HIS BROTHER, HE IS LEFT REMEMBERING THE IMPACT DAVID HAD ON HIM DURING HIS SHORT LIFE. >> HE WAS THE BEST BIG BROTHER EVER. HE WAS. HE WAS A GREAT ROLE MODEL. HE WAS A HARD WORKER . HE WAS VERY LOVING TO ALL HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY. >> BACK HERE LIVE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICAL CENTER, OSHA SAYS IT'S OPENED AN INSPECTION WITH THE COMPANY NEW HORIZONS STEEL, WHICH EMPLOYED THE INJURED WORKER BUT NOT O'DONNELL. >> OSHA SAYS NEW HORIZON STEEL HAS NO PREVIOUS OSHA HISTORY, AND THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR, TURNER CONSTRUCTION, HAS NO ILLINOIS VIOLATIONS

Channel: ABC 7 Chicago

Views: 3,098

Keywords: news, university of chicago, uchicago, david o'donnell, construction accident chicago today, uchicago death, scaffolding, chicago construction accident today, chicago construction accident, chicago construction worker killed, construction worker killed in chicago, turner construction chicago, turner construction accident, construction accident, chicago construction, turner construction, new horizon steel, university of chicago cancer center, chicago, chicago news

Id: wxHAyWgBxOA

Length: 2min 19sec (139 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 07 2024