Fatal Job Site Accident Under Investigation in North Slope Borough

Adam Trujillo died at a North Slope job site after being caught between two sections of equipment, and his family filed suit in March 2026 against contractor Merkes, according to court filings. He was pronounced dead roughly one hour and 20 minutes after the incident. The complaint holds Merkes liable for Trujillo's death and the actions of its employees. The case is the latest formal accountability action tied to a fatal North Slope workplace incident, arriving as scrutiny of oil-field safety on the Slope has intensified across multiple fronts.

At least four workers died in North Slope oil fields over a 14-month span ending in June 2024, a toll the region had not seen in roughly five years. Among them was Randy Lytle, 62, an employee of MagTec Alaska, who died during a snow removal operation at the Milne Point oil field in May 2024. A state report said Lytle was struck and killed by a front-end loader while walking at the job site. "First responders were immediately called to the scene, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful," the report said.

Alaska Occupational Safety and Health opened an investigation the day of the Milne Point fatality and performed an on-site inspection within 48 hours, said Dale Williamson, enforcement chief with the agency. That same-day response is standard protocol following any reported workplace fatality. Alaska OSHA's Fatalgram Log provides public notices of workplace fatalities, giving families a documented trail for accountability even when companies decline to release incident details.

Operators have moved quickly to halt activity after deaths, though critics say the response has been incomplete. "We immediately stopped all Milne Point work activity and initiated an investigation," said Luke Miller, a spokesperson with Hilcorp, the field operator and owner. But the estate of Randy Lytle alleged that Hilcorp and contractor CCI Industrial Services had failed to provide proper signage, training, and safety protocols. The complaint argues that the front-end loader operator was traveling too fast in an area congested with vehicles and pedestrians, carrying a snow load that exceeded the maximum bucket volume by up to three feet. Hilcorp denied the allegations in a December court filing.

Heavy equipment and vehicle-pedestrian hazards account for several of the recorded deaths, but ice roads and structural failures compound the risk. In January 2026, the Doyon 26 drilling rig toppled while in transit near Nuiqsut, close to a tributary of the Colville River, with all workers accounted for after the incident. By late February, crews had removed about 47 percent of the rig from the tundra using ice roads constructed specifically to support the heavy equipment needed for recovery. Slick surfaces at ground level have also proved deadly: a 23-year-old man died at a Deadhorse shop in April 2023 after slipping on icy ground while carrying a pipe, which struck him in the back of the head.

For families navigating the aftermath of a North Slope fatality, Alaska OSHA investigation files and Fatalgram notices are public documents that provide a starting point. Court filings in cases like those involving Trujillo and Lytle often reveal a more granular record than state agency reports alone, detailing equipment loads, named employees, and site conditions that can be critical to understanding what went wrong and why.