Partner of Colorado construction worker who died at Broncos Park speaks about working conditions

The partner of a subcontractor who died while working on the new Broncos training facility, Broncos Park in Centennial, is speaking out about his working conditions.

Journeyman electrician Sven Eryk Johnson was 31 years old when he died on June 15.

"He was my best friend," Leah Siebert told CBS Colorado, who was Johnson's partner.

Siebert was drawn to Johnson from the moment mutual friends set them up in 2023.

"He had a lot of joy. He was incredible to be around, and his energy was infectious," Siebert said. "He loved people. He was kind. He would do anything for anyone. He was funny. He loved life."

The couple soon moved into a Castle Rock apartment together.

"I made him this scrapbook for Valentine's Day this year," Siebert said, flipping through a scrapbook titled "The Story of Us." "This is the day we moved into our old apartment."

They spent their spare time hiking, going to concerts and traveling the world.

"All of our adventures and camping," said Siebert said, while pointing to photos in the scrapbook. "This was our Camino trip."

After growing up in Michigan, Johnson made his way to Colorado, where Siebert says he worked as a lead journeyman electrician at Encore Electric. He was hired to work as a subcontractor on the new Broncos training facility.

"He was very excited. He was honored to really get to be a part of it. He was really looking forward to it, and, at the beginning, he enjoyed it," Siebert said.

But, as the months went on, Siebert says Johnson was under growing pressure to finish the work in time for training camp and began working longer than 12-hour days. She says he worked most Saturdays and many Sundays.

"It was very overwhelming, super stressful," Siebert said. "His last timecard said he worked 82 hours in one week."

Siebert says, in multiple conversations, Johnson told her the work conditions could lead to someone getting hurt.

"Never did I think it would be him. Never did he think it would be him," Siebert said.

But, on June 15, it was him. Siebert became worried when Johnson didn't answer her calls or return home from work.

"He did not answer the phone, so I called him again. Didn't answer. I got back to our house, and he wasn't there. And I thought that was kind of weird," Siebert said. "Looked at his location. He was still there."

The police showed up at Siebert's door to tell her that her partner, Johnson, had died.

"I just remember thinking ... It wasn't him. I think you guys are wrong," Siebert explained. "I was in complete shock for a good month."

First responders say Sven Johnson was found in a confined ceiling area in the facility.

The Arapahoe County Coroner determined Johnson died from "cardiac arrhythmia due to electrocution," and that his manner of death was accidental.

"Sven was very meticulous and careful and a big advocate for safety," Siebert said. "Sven's life was much more important than the Broncos' timeline."

Siebert is left to grapple with the loss of her best friend and the future they were looking forward to.

"We just had a lot of a lot of things planned, and they're never gonna happen," Siebert said. "Very painful. It's the worst thing that I've ever experienced. I think, as milestones come up, it continues to be. I just want it to get easier, and it seems to just be getting harder."

This week is another painful reminder for Leah Siebert of what could have been. She believed Johnson was planning to ask her to marry him on a trip he was planning for this week.

"He said that we would be engaged in the next six months. We talked about it in April. Both of our birthdays were in October. We always took a trip for our birthdays in October, and he said that he had a special trip planned for us," Siebert said. "My birthday was last week. His birthday's next week, and we always took a trip the week in between."

Siebert wants Johnson's death to lead to change in the construction industry.

"Sven told me, when we walked the Camino, that he wanted his life to mean something," Siebert said. "He can still be an advocate for safety, and we can still honor him by doing something about it, and making change — so that this doesn't happen to any other tradesman."

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is still investigating Sven Johnson's death. Those findings should be released by December.

The Denver Broncos declined to comment, deferring instead to the companies contracted to build the facility.

Encore Electric shared the following statement, "The loss of Sven Eryk Johnson is heartbreaking for everyone at Encore Electric. We worked alongside him and appreciated him as a colleague and friend. His loss is deeply personal to our team, and our prayers and heartfelt condolences remain with his family and loved ones.We are deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our people. We want every member of our team to return home safely to the people who love them. This commitment guides our work every day and is something we continually reinforce throughout our team.As this matter remains under investigation, we are unable to comment further on the specific circumstances surrounding Sven's death."

Turner Construction Company shared the following statement, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of Sven Eryk Johnson, and our thoughts remain with his family, friends, and colleagues.We consistently communicate that the worker is always more important than the progress of the work. The safety and well-being of the people performing the work are more important than any schedule, deadline, or project milestone. This principle guides our approach to every project, and we actively reinforced it on this project with our employees and trade partners.As this matter remains under investigation, we are unable to comment further on the specific circumstances surrounding this tragic loss."