Witness describes moments after construction worker’s tragic death

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A 40-year-old man working at a construction site on Morena Boulevard in the Bay Park area was killed Sunday night after he was “struck by an excavator,” according to a report from the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.
While the family searches for answers, ABC 10News met with a man who was there when it happened.
Bob Thompson said the 1900 block of Morena Boulevard hardly has a moment of silence as it is.
“Noisy, but convenient,” he said.
Thompson would know. He’s lived there for 15 years.
For the last three weeks, a new noise has been introduced — overnight construction.
“They’re picking up plates, and they’re moving the plates in the middle Island right there, and there’s backhoes digging it up, and they’re replacing plates,” Thompson said, describing what he’s noticed. “It’s just, it’s chaos.”
Around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, he said the noise suddenly sounded different.
“I just thought there was a huge party going on,” he said. “I mean, a gargantuan party. It wasn’t. He was just laying…laying on his stomach. Just out. Gone.”
The county’s medical examiner identified the 40-year-old male as Cesar Xavier Abarca Carillo. The report said, “he was struck by an excavator prior to 911 being called for emergency services assistance. Responding paramedics contacted the unresponsive decedent and provided lifesaving measures while transporting him to the Sharp Memorial Hospital Emergency Department for evaluation. Upon arrival, medical staff continued lifesaving measures to no avail with death being pronounced.”
Based on what he saw and learned at the scene, Thompson elaborated that the man was “ran over by a backhoe. [A] huge piece of construction equipment.”
Other than that, little is known about the incident. Cesar’s family, heartbroken, told ABC 10News it was his first day working on that project.
Now, 24 hours later, Thompson is still struggling with his own emotions.
“I’m upset about the family,” he said. “I’m upset about his death, and I’m upset about his friends, you know. All the coworkers who were just freaking out. They were just hugging each other.”
ABC 10News has reached out to the City of San Diego, the San Diego Police Department and the California Department of Industrial Relations for answers. We have yet to hear back.