Construction-site accident kills former Issaquah High all-star

Brock O'Connor, 19, a popular former all-star baseball player for Issaquah High School, was killed Thursday when he was crushed by heavy equipment he was operating at a Kent construction site.

Mr. O'Connor, of Sammamish, graduated from Issaquah High School in 1999 and attended Bellevue Community College this year but did not play baseball.

He was operating a large compacting machine when it tipped over on a slope in the 22000 block of 40th Avenue South about 1 p.m., according to Kent police and the King County Medical Examiner's Office. Mr. O'Connor attempted to jump but was caught and crushed when the device rolled onto its side. He died at the scene.

The state Department of Labor and Industries is investigating the accident.

Mr. O'Connor was employed by Seaport Dozing and Development of Issaquah, said Bill Ripple, an L&I spokesman. A call to the company for comment was not returned.

Mr. O'Connor, a catcher, was named a 1999 second-team all star in KingCo 3-A the year Issaquah was eliminated from the state championships in the semifinals in a one-run, extra-inning game.

Steve Sanelli, Mr. O'Connor's assistant baseball coach at Issaquah High, remembers him as an inspirational player to his teammates whose pleasant disposition was revealed by his constant smile. "He came to our first varsity game this year, and when he came around the corner he gave me a big hug. That's the kind of kid he was," Sanelli said.

Mr. O'Connor was part of a group of about seven boys from the same neighborhood who played baseball together from Little League through high school who will really miss him, said Rob Reese, Mr. O'Connor's varsity coach.

"They played together and were great friends." It is going to be tough on them "to lose someone so full of life and so young," Reese said.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at Skyline High School.