A project engineer was killed in front of his teenage son on Governors Island today as both men worked to help unload sewer pipes off a truck — and one of the steel pieces rolled off and crushed the older man.
A strap that was holding the pipes in place suddenly gave out, causing them to tumble onto doomed hardhat Abbas Behnam-Bakhsh, 55, of Staten Island, officials and witnesses said.
“The saddest part is that his son was there and he was freaking out,” said a grieving pal of the victim. “He was crying.
“I worked with [Behnam-Bakhsh] for two months. He is the nicest guy,” the man added.
The horrific accident occurred around 8:30 a.m., according to the FDNY.
Workers were unloading 18-foot pipes in pairs when they suddenly came loose, officials said.
“A sewer pipe fell off of the back of the flatbed they were unloading with a forklift,” said a distraught co worker. “They weigh thousands of pounds.”
The married dad was pronounced dead at the scene. His son is 19.
Two other workers suffered minor injuries and were taken to Bellevue Hospital to be treated, officials said.
Sources said the men were working on a project to erect a new seawall on the southern end of the island.