Cristino Santiago Vasquez Clemente, 55, fell from the roof of the Lora Robins Residence Hall Wednesday morning, sustaining several serious injuries, according to Channel 6 WTVR in Richmond, Va. He was transported to the VCU Medical Center, where he later died.
Work at the construction site remains halted while local health and safety officials and local law enforcement investigate the incident.
“It is with deep sadness that I write to inform you of the passing yesterday morning of an employee of a subcontractor who fell from the roof while working at the Lora Robins residence hall construction site. Our thoughts are with the family and friends," wrote University of Richmond President Ronald Crutcher in an email to the university community.
"I also want to extend my thanks to University public safety officials who responded to the accident yesterday and provided the utmost care and support at the scene.”
Further details about the incident were not immediately available, though published reports indicate Vasquez Clemente fell roughly four stories.
Falls continue to be the leading source of fatal and serious-injury work-site incidents in the construction trade. In 2017 alone, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported falls accounted for 366 of 971 construction fatalities, roughly 38 percent. Between 1982 and 2015, about 42 percent of all construction-related fatalities involved falls, according to government data. Read more about rooftop safety here.
