Eduardo Cruz Moran Obituary, Death – A contractor tragically fell through the roof of a middle school gymnasium in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, on Friday, leading to his death. Eduardo Cruz Moran, 31, was employed by a private company hired to replace or repair the roof of Crystal Springs Middle School. The fatal fall occurred as Moran was working on the roof, and the incident was particularly tragic as it happened when no students were on campus. School had let out early that day, around 1:45 p.m., and Cpt. Gerome LeFlore, the director of safety for the Copiah County School District, expressed relief that no students or staff were present at the time. He also thanked the district’s safety protocols, which helped ensure the campus was empty when the fatal accident occurred.
Moran had been working for an out-of-state company hired through a competitive bidding process. While the company’s name was not disclosed, the district confirmed that no district staff oversaw daily activities at the worksite, and there was no engineer present on the scene to supervise the construction work. LeFlore clarified that once the project was contracted out, the district did not manage the day-to-day operations of the project.
The fatal fall has triggered an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA officials arrived at the scene on the day of the incident, conducted interviews with company representatives, and took photographs of the site. At the time of reporting, the investigation was still ongoing, and officials were awaiting the final report from OSHA to determine the causes of the accident. According to LeFlore, the company has already started implementing OSHA’s recommendations to improve safety measures, though specific details on these measures were not provided.
Deputy Copiah County Coroner Judy Evans confirmed that Moran was living with family in Texas when he came to Mississippi for this project. His family had been informed of the accident on the same day, and his parents, who reside in Mexico, were notified afterward. The tragic death of Moran has left his family and the community mourning the loss of a man who had been working hard to help improve the school’s facilities.
Following the incident, work crews were seen at the site continuing repairs on the roof, and some workers appeared to be following new safety measures, including using safety harnesses, which had been suggested by OSHA. LeFlore mentioned that these safety measures were already being implemented as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to ensure a safer working environment.
The school district assured that the roof repairs would be completed in time for students and staff to return to school in January. The incident serves as a tragic reminder of the importance of workplace safety, especially when dealing with construction projects on school premises. The district and the company involved are cooperating with authorities to determine how the accident occurred and to prevent similar incidents in the future. The final OSHA report is expected to provide more clarity on the circumstances surrounding the accident.