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Introduction
A 45-year-old man has died after being struck by heavy machinery at a construction site in the New South Wales Hunter region late Thursday night. Authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident.
Details of the Incident
Emergency services were called to the New England Highway at Tarro, near Newcastle, just before midnight on Thursday.
Police were told the worker had been standing behind a parked truck when a material transfer vehicle — used in road surfacing and asphalt laying — began moving toward the vehicle and hit him.
Paramedics attempted to revive the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not yet been formally identified.
Emergency and Police Response
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District secured the site overnight while forensic investigators documented the scene. The driver of the vehicle was taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
Police have begun interviewing witnesses and site personnel to determine how the collision occurred. A report will be prepared for the NSW Coroner.
Regulatory Investigation
SafeWork NSW has been notified and will conduct its own independent investigation to examine whether appropriate safety procedures were in place at the construction site.
The investigation will likely assess visibility conditions, proximity of pedestrian workers to operating vehicles, and the adequacy of traffic management controls during night operations.
Worksites operating at night along high-traffic corridors like the New England Highway are required to maintain clear separation between workers and machinery through lighting, barriers, and spotters.
Community and Industry Context
The fatality marks another tragedy in the Hunter region’s construction and infrastructure sector, where multiple serious workplace incidents have been recorded in recent years. The area, a key logistics and industrial corridor for NSW, frequently hosts large-scale road and rail projects requiring overnight operations.
Unions and safety advocates have previously raised concerns about fatigue and reduced visibility during night shifts, urging tighter enforcement of worksite safety standards and vehicle movement protocols.
Conclusion
As investigations continue, authorities will focus on determining whether procedural or communication failures contributed to the accident. The man’s death serves as a reminder of the inherent risks in construction environments, particularly during after-hours infrastructure works.