Fatal injury at San Rafael construction site, police say

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San Rafael police and firefighters responded to a fatal injury at a construction site on Tuesday morning.

The accident occurred, police said, in the first block of Fair Drive between Coleman and Lincoln avenues about 10:30 a.m.

The man killed was part of a team building a home at the location where several homes are under construction. Police received the emergency call at around 8 a.m. 

The police, the Marin County Coroner, and California OSHA are investigating the incident.

In an email, Cal/OSHA spokeswoman Jeanne-Mairie Duval said that "according to an outside source, an employee at West Coast Land and Development" was fatally struck by plywood sheets. They have six months to issue citations for workplace safety and health violations. Details are kept confidential until the investigation is closed. 

"Something is going to be missing every time I drive down that road," said Stephen Nelles, who lives nearby. 

Nelles said he's been driving past the construction site since last September. One of his highlights was sharing a smile with the people working to build the home. 

"They are just so kind and nice and it kind of hurts me. Like I said, I would see them three or four times a day," Nelles said. 

An online search of OSHA records shows that the company has had no violations in the last five years.

Officials did not release the identity of the worker killed. Nelles said all of the workers have been instrumental in keeping traffic running safe along Fair Drive in front of the construction zone.

"My heart goes out to the family and friends and everyone involved. It just hits close to home," said Nelles. 

The construction company is based in Concord.