Update: Coram man dies following injury involving bulldozer

The Coram man who was injured after falling from a bulldozer at a Route 58 work site Tuesday has died, a Stony Brook University Hospital spokesperson has confirmed.

Riverhead Town police had reported that a 42-year-old man fell off a bulldozer and suffered “serious internal injuries” Tuesday morning, forcing him to be transported by a Suffolk County police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital.

The accident took place around 10:20 a.m. on a piece of land between Riverhead Nissan and Costco off Route 58 which had been cleared and was being leveled, police said. After the man fell, the bulldozer continued to travel westbound across the property and struck a parked, unoccupied van before coming to a stop in the rear parking lot of Applebee’s, police said.

The town police blotter identified the man as Jason Nichols of Coram.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified and is investigating the incident, police said. Riverhead Fire Department and Riverhead Ambulance volunteers assisted at the scene.

Anthony Ciuffo, OSHA’s Long Island area director, declined to comment on the investigation, saying it would be “premature to even discuss the case at this time.” Mr. Ciuffo said OSHA had just opened its probe and would have six months to fully investigate what had happened.

According to Mr. Ciuffo, the company Mr. Nichols worked for is Suffolk Asphalt, which has no previous OSHA citations.

No other injuries were reported, police said.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact Riverhead Police at 631-727-4500.

Photo Caption: A Suffolk County Police medevac helicopter lands in Riverhead. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

With Joseph Pinciaro