City worker dies after accident at landfill

Officials say a city maintenance worker died Wednesday following an industrial accident at the Springfield Landfill.

John Wesley Choate, 53, was airlifted to Mercy Hospital in Springfield just after 11 a.m., but he died later in the day, according to a news release from the city.

The release says Choate had worked for the city since 2008.

"We are all saddened by the loss of one of our own” City Manager Greg Burris said in the release. “Please keep the Choate family in your thoughts and prayers.”

The release says the Springfield Police Department is conducting an accident investigation and will release more information when the investigation is complete.

Officials have not commented publicly on how Choate was injured.

The Department of Environmental Services, which oversees the landfill, will also complete an internal review of the incident, according to the release.

The landfill was closed Wednesday afternoon, and officials anticipate it will reopen Thursday morning.

The Springfield Fire Department and the Ebenezer Fire Department also responded to the scene on Wednesday morning, according to the release.

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