The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority has opened an investigation into the death of a man who was killed while working on a Connecticut golf course, records show.
The authority, which said it is following state laws and regulations, said it initiated an uncontested proceeding to investigate the fatal accident on August 21 at 200 Conrad Drive, New Haven, which is the address of the Yale Golf Course, records show.
A man was killed while working at the Yale Golf Course in a suspected electrocution.
Emergency crews responded to the golf course on that day, on the report of an electrocution, and found that a man had reportedly grabbed hold of a power line, according to Dan Coughlin, assistant chief of the New Haven Fire Department.
Coughlin said the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to a spokesperson for Yale University, the man was a contractor employed by Eastern Land Management and was working at the golf course. The spokesperson said he came into contact with an electrical wire that had come down after a tree fell during a storm.
“Yale offers its deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the deceased,” a Yale spokesperson said at the time.
The course is undergoing restorations and has not been open for play since 2023.
Contractor dies after coming into contact with power line while working at Yale Golf Course
PURA said it was notified by the United Illuminating Company of the “tragic fatal accident” and later UI provided a written accident report, or Five-Day Report, containing information on the accident, records show.
“According to the Five-Day Report, the accident involved a fallen tree that brought down a primary electrical wire. While removing tree limbs from the road, the decedent, an employee of Eastern Land Management (a contractor for the Yale Golf Course) came in contact with the primary electrical wire,” PURA wrote in its notice of the investigation.
“As part of the investigation, the Authority will make a record of the causes, facts, and circumstances of the accident, within three months thereafter, and as a part of such record shall suggest means, if possible, whereby similar accidents may be avoided in the future,” PURA reported. The PURA document is signed by attorney Jeffrey R. Gaudiosi, executive secretary
“The investigation will also review incident and accident reporting, including whether UI followed the major accident reporting requirements of” state regulations, according to the authority.
PURA noted that, by state law, its chairperson assigns the matter to a panel consisting of Commissioners Gillett, Arconti, and Caron, and “the full panel shall hear the entire matter. No hearing officer or commissioner has been assigned to ascertain the facts and report thereon to the panel.”
Further, according to PURA, it designated UI, the city of New Haven, Eastern Land Management, the Yale Golf Course, the Office of Consumer Counsel, and the commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as participants in the proceeding. The agency noted that attorneys not admitted to practice law before the Connecticut Superior Court “must comply with Connecticut’s pro hac vice procedures in order to participate in any administrative proceeding before the Authority.”
Any persons seeking participant status in the proceeding must file a motion in accordance with state law no later than October 1, before 4 p.m. EST, according to PURA. Anyone seeking to receive e-mail notifications, but does not seek official status in the matter, can register on the PURA website for an email notification account at htttp://www.dpuc.state.ct.us/DPUCPublicList.NSF.
The Authority noted it “operates with the strong presumption that all documents filed with it are public records subject to the right of public inspection and copying in accordance with” state Freedom of Information laws. However, “in those exceptional circumstances where a participant believes that information is confidential under law, a motion for a protective order requesting an exemption from public disclosure may be filed. The motion must provide specific legal arguments with reference to state or federal law describing with supporting facts why the information should be kept confidential.”
The authority noted that “a certified affidavit supplied by a competent witness in support of the motion must be appended to the motion. Until otherwise directed by the Authority, all confidential material must be submitted electronically by email to Jeff.Gaudiosi@ct.gov contemporaneously with the motion.”
The email’s subject line, according to PURA, must state in all capital letters “CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL – NOT FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.” Each page of any electronic confidential information shall also contain a header “CONFIDENTIAL – NOT FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.” The associated motion for a protective order shall be filed publicly.
Reporting by Justin Muszynski is included.
