One of the two construction workers trapped when a trench they were digging collapsed Monday morning in Minnetonka has died, the Hennepin County medical examiner's office said.
Jimmy Scott Klous, 48, of Onamia, Minn., was working on the 1900 block of Oakland Road when the dirt gave way around 10 a.m.
Scott was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center where he died about an hour later. The cause of death was still under investigation, the medical examiner said.
Klous and another man identified as Tory Swan, were working for Dave Perkins Contracting Inc., doing prep work ahead of a city project to replace an aging storm and sanitary sewer system and make other roadway improvements.
Klous was completely covered by dirt for about 20 minutes and was unresponsive when responders reached him. Swan was buried up to his waist.
Minnetonka police and officials from the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.
According to state records, Dave Perkins Contracting Inc. was cited for a previous "serious violation" in 2010.
The company was fined for exposing an employee to "cave-in hazards while working in an excavation that was greater than 5 feet deep without an effective protection system," the complaint said.
