According to Hillsdale Det./Sgt. Robert Francaviglia, at around 8 a.m., the 49-year-old resident of Hillside was asking a coworker if he needed help, and he walked behind the excavator, which was backing up. “The excavator caught the man’s foot and basically dragged him underneath the tread,” Francaviglia said.

The man, whose name cannot be released until the next of kin is notified, was killed immediately. The driver is being treated for shock at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Department took photographs of the scene, and the case has been turned over to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for further investigation. There are no charges from the Hillsdale Police Department.

J. Fletcher Creamer and Son, one of the largest contractors in the state, was retained by United Water to install the pipe in an effort to address summertime water pressure issues in parts of Westwood, Hillsdale, River Vale, and the Township of Washington. The pipe begins at the intersection of Lafayette and Washington avenues in Westwood, runs west into Washington Township, north into Hillsdale, and then west up to Pascack Road.

J. Fletcher Creamer and Son, based out of Hackensack, specializes in the installation of fiber optic cable, underground transmission lines for communication, cable television, electric, gas and water systems.

In a phone interview, Rich Henning, spokesperson for United Water, said, “Our hearts go out certainly to the worker’s family and to the entire Creamer construction group.”  

Kevin Glynn's e-mail address is glynn@northjersey.com.