Cause of death determined in Jacob's Pillow accident that killed employee
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has determined the cause of death for Jacob's Pillow employee Kat Sirico, who was killed in a workplace accident at the Becket, Massachusetts dance center on Aug. 1.
Sirico, a production manager from Rochester, New York, and a summer intern were moving platforms used for staging the theater when they lost control of a dolly and it rolled downhill. The 40-year-old tripped and fell while trying to regain control of the dolly and was run over, the Berkshire County District Attorney's office said.
The district attorney's office said no charges are being filed in the case because it was deemed to be a workplace accident.
Cause of death
The medical examiner found that the manner of death was accidental and caused by blunt impact injury to the head. The injury occurred when Sirico was "crushed by [a] wooden cart," the medical examiner stated.
Sirico was "an alumni of the Pillow and an essential part of our team," Jacob's Pillow said in a statement after the accident.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the incident.
The University of Rochester published a tribute to Sirico, who was a lecturer in dance production and lighting design at the college.
"Kat's love of dance was palpable; they had so much they wanted to share with our students and faculty," associate dance program professor Anne Harris Wilcox said. "I saw from the very beginning how much they respected the students and cared about making their experiences meaningful and exciting."
Jacob's Pillow festival canceled
Jacob's Pillow canceled the rest of its summer festival last week after initially saying that performances would resume. The nine-week festival was scheduled to run through Aug. 24 and featured some of the best dancers from around the world.
"We have come to this difficult decision following the tragic accident on our campus on August 1," the center said in a statement.
