BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown announced a city employee was struck and killed during the snow removal operation in South Buffalo Wednesday.
Buffalo police said the incident occurred on McKinley Parkway around 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday.
According to Mayor Brown, the employee was an experienced member of the city team and family with decades on the job.
“We are heartbroken, we are in pain right now having suffered this loss,” Brown said.
The mayor continued on to say the employee will not be identified today as notifications are still being made to family members.
“Our hearts, our thoughts, our prayers go out to the family members of our lost coworker,” Brown said.
According to BPD Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, it appears a high loader truck was dumping a load of snow in a dump truck and fatally struck the employee while in reverse. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Mayor Brown, the vehicle that struck the employee was a third-party contractor vehicle that was retained by the city to assist with snow removal.
The city is suspending further snow removal operations for 48 hours as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
“We know that there is tremendous grief in the workforce right now,” Brown said.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
