1 killed, 1 injured after roof collapses in remodel of Gig Harbor house

One person was killed and another was seriously injured when the roof of a Gig Harbor house they were remodeling collapsed Friday afternoon, police said.

A 64-year-old man died at the scene, the Pierce County Medical Examiner determined. He appeared to have been crushed by the weight of the roof, according to Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss.

A second man, also 64, was transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.

Two other people were on-site at the time of the incident. They were not in the house or under the roof when it collapsed, Moss said.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a death investigation call around 1 p.m. on March 8. Upon arriving at 11700 118th Ave. NW, the medical examiner determined the cause of the death was likely an accident and referred the case to the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, which investigates workplace injuries.

What led the roof to collapse remains unclear, Moss said. It appears crews were working on a roof remodel. He could not say whether the entire house was undergoing a full remodel.

The home is located near a bend in the road of 188th Ave. on the Key Peninsula, where it becomes Vipond Dr. NW, just under a mile south of Minter Creek Elementary School. It is described as a waterfront property with beach access to Minter Bay.

A 996-square-foot, single-story house built in 1963 with three bedrooms and one bath, it was last sold in May 2023 for $625,000, according to Pierce County property records.

This story was originally published March 9, 2024 at 11:02 AM.