It is with a heavy heart that we report that earlier this week, an accident in Santa Rosa claimed the life a new IBEW 1245 member when the off-highway vehicle (OHV) he was driving went off the road and down an embankment. The member has been identified as David Romero-Mendoza, age 31. He was working in vegetation management as a groundman for Mountain F. Enterprises, and had only been on the job for two months prior to the accident.
“A young man with a bright career ahead of him has been taken from this world too soon. Our deepest condolences go out to Brother Romero-Mendoza’s family and loved ones during this heart-wrenching time,” said IBEW 1245 Business Manager Tom Dalzell. “This tragic loss of life underscores the inherent risks and hazards that our members face on the job each and every day. As we mourn the passing of this IBEW brother, we must also re-commit to the principles of safety that the IBEW was founded upon, and look out for ourselves, and each other.”
There were two other passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident. One sustained some injuries but declined medical treatment, and the other was in the hospital overnight for observation due to head and shoulder pain, but has since been released. The incident is still under investigation and the cause of the accident has not yet been determined. More information will be released as it becomes available.