Subcontractors connected to deadly accident removed from Bonney Lake project

Bonney Lake announced Friday evening that subcontractors involved in work on an overpass where a family of three was killed will be removed from the project.

Construction will resume Monday at the site of a sidewalk project on the state Route 410 overpass where a deadly accident occurred on April 13.

Josh and Vanessa Ellis were killed, along with their 8-month-old son Hudson, when a concrete slab fell on their pickup as they drove on Angeline Road East below the overpass.“The final completion of the project, which is intended to enhance the safety of pedestrians and motorists along SR410, will be an important step for the community to move forward from this tragedy,” the release states.

A demolition plan submitted by WHH Nisqually, the primary contractor hired by the city to complete the nearly $1.8 million project, listed Eugene, Oregon-based Staton Cos. and Highmark Concrete Contractors of Buckley as subcontractors.

The News Tribune couldn’t confirm whether those were the same ones removed from the project. The city’s announcement came after hours Friday, and officials weren’t available for comment.

The day of the accident, Staton Cos. was in charge of removing a concrete barrier to make room for the sidewalk expansion. The company has been cited for serious violations in Washington state and Oregon, including one that resulted in the collapse of a portion of the old Sauvie Island Bridge near Portland in 2008.

An investigation into the Sauvie Island incident found that Staton deviated from its demolition plan, just as Bonney Lake officials say it did the day of last month’s accident.

An attorney for Staton couldn’t be reached Friday.

This story was originally published May 1, 2015 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Subcontractors connected to deadly accident removed from Bonney Lake project ."