Accident in the Zoo Interchange: 33-year-old construction worker killed; investigation underway

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A construction worker was killed while working on the Zoo Interchange project near 91st Street in Milwaukee on Saturday morning, February 28th.

That construction worker has been identified as 33-year-old Ryan Calkins of Brookfield. He was killed due to a construction-related accident involving machinery on the westbound side of I-94 at approximately 7:41 a.m. Calkins was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Wisconsin DOT says this is a very rare occurrence. There is a lot of safety training involved for any construction project.

A spokesman for the DOT is calling this a tragedy. Those living nearby echoed that sentiment as they saw emergency crews at the scene for hours.

"I looked over the edge a little bit and I saw rescue squads and I saw a bunch of people around a piece of machinery. It was like a drill thing, like they were drilling to place a  post or something," said Thomas Kleppin.

The sad news traveled quickly to the state Capitol as thousands of union supporters rallied against the so-called Right-to-Work bill. They shared a moment of silence for Calkins and his family.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office is working with the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health division (OSHA) and Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office in this investigation.

Work on the Zoo Interchange will continue, but not near where the investigation is occurring. It is unclear how long the investigation will last.

Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this story.