Worker killed by excavator at Rockwall County construction site

A Kaufman man died after being struck by an excavator at a McLendon-Chisholm construction site, putting a sharp workplace-safety spotlight on one of the city’s active growth projects in the Sonoma Verde subdivision.

The victim was identified as William Werner, 52, of Kaufman, Texas. The Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office said deputies, along with paramedics and other first responders, were called to Costa Verde Drive and Torrente Drive shortly before 3:30 p.m. Monday after reports of an unresponsive person. The McLendon-Chisholm Fire Department said it responded at about 3:26 p.m. Werner was pronounced dead at the scene.

Preliminary reports indicate Werner was run over by an excavator while working at the site. His body was taken to the Dallas Medical Examiner’s Office as investigators began sorting out exactly how the incident unfolded and what safety protocols were in place at the time.

The Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating. Those reviews now become the key public-safety question for McLendon-Chisholm residents, nearby workers and city officials: whether the crash was an isolated tragedy or a sign that heavy construction activity in the Sonoma Verde area needs tighter oversight.

The incident was tied to the Edwards Road improvement project, a major roadway reconstruction effort scheduled to run from Oct. 27, 2025, through March 27, 2026. The project covers about 1.17 miles, or 6,200 linear feet, stretching from the League Road intersection to near 428 Edwards Road. That timeline places the work squarely inside a period of rapid infrastructure buildout in the city, where road construction and utility services are advancing alongside new development.

City utility information shows Sonoma Verde residents receive sanitary sewer service through the city’s billing system, another sign of the subdivision’s active expansion and the added pressure that comes with it. For Rockwall County, the investigation will determine more than the cause of one worker’s death. It will also test how closely city and county leaders are tracking safety on major construction sites as growth continues around McLendon-Chisholm.