Involuntary Manslaughter Charges Filled on Crane Operator Dropped
May 2, 2017 - The Davis Enterprise reports that involuntary manslaughter charges filed against the superintendent of a construction site have been dismissed. Mark Powell was operating a crane involved in an accident in which two men died when the crane platform they were elevated in slipped from a hook and fell 80 feet to the ground. The deceased workers included Glen Hodgson and Marcus Zane Powell, son of operator Mark Powell.
County prosecutors filed the involuntary manslaughter charges last year, along with two counts of violating the state labor code, alleging that Powell acted recklessly by failing to properly survey the construction site for potential hazards prior to lifting the two workers.
In a motion to dismiss the charges filed last month, Powell’s defense attorney argued that prosecutors failed to produce sufficient evidence to support the charges, which he said requires a showing of criminal negligence. The judge agreed, ruling that Powell did not show disregard for how his actions would affect human life. The motion to dismiss the labor code violations, which will now proceed to the trial stage. Powell is back in court May 22 to enter a plea and set a trial date.
