Investigation into death of Westfield Officer Jose Torres could take months

WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - It could be six months before investigators determine exactly what caused an accident that took the life of 27-year veteran Westfield Police Officer Jose Torres .

Jackie Santini from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says it could take six months for compliance officers to figure out what happened at that Pontoosic Road job site.

Torres was struck by a dump truck while working a construction detail on Thursday morning. He died at Baystate Medical Center later that morning.

Mike Florio, the Executive Director of the Western Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health , told 22News these kinds of accidents happen more often than people think.

“In operating equipment, large equipment, there is a lot of blind spots were the operators or the drivers can't see everything, they get careless, they assume things, and accidents happen,” Florio said.

Police have not released any details about the crash investigation at this time.

Florio says that in the United States, 13 workers are killed on the job every day.