Historic Guilty Plea After Worker Buried Alive In Hudson Valley

A boss pleaded guilty after a Hudson Valley worker lost his life.

Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced a contractor pleaded guilty today to reckless endangerment in connection with the 2021 death of a laborer.

Guilty Plea After Worker Buried Alive In Westchester County, New York

In May 2021, Jose Vega, 46, a laborer at a Mamaroneck construction site, was killed after an unprotected, 9-foot trench he was inside of collapsed, completely burying him alive.

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On May 4, 2021, Michael Conway directed workers at a Mamaroneck construction site to dig a trench without proper shoring or cave-in protections.

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According to the Westchester County DA's office, the excavation site lacked the safety measures required for any trench deeper than five feet.

Officials say that Conway directed two workers to dig a trench without proper shoring or cave-in protections in place at a residential construction site on Shore Acres Drive in the Village of Mamaroneck on May 4, 2001.

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Vegas Killed In Unprotected 9-Foot Trench

Vegas was inside an unprotected 9-foot trench when it collapsed.

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"As site supervisor, Conway knew the trench excavation was in violation of OSHA regulations," the Westchester County DA's office told Hudson Valley Post in a press release.

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Vegas was pronounced dead at the scene.

This past Friday, Conway, 60 from Connecticut, pleaded guilty to one count of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor.

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"Were it not for the complete disregard for federal safety standards, Mr. Vega might still be alive today. Instead, he was buried alive, in part due to Mr. Conway’s recklessness. This case, the first of its kind in Westchester County, should send a message to everyone in the construction industry," DA Cacace said.

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