Roofer Dies After Collapse of Utah Patio Roof

Fire officials say a residential construction worker was killed after being crushed and trapped under a patio roof that suddenly collapsed.

Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Scott Freitag says the accident happened Wednesday morning at a Salt Lake City, Utah home.

The 48-year-old roofer was on a ladder underneath the wooden patio roof when it came down. Freitag says it’s not clear what the roofer was doing or why the structure collapsed.

He says the man was trapped under the debris and could not be easily reached by others on the five-man crew.

Freitag says the man died at the scene.

The man’s name was not immediately released pending family notification.

Freitag says an autopsy will be conducted by the state medical examiner’s office.

The accident remains under investigation.