A construction worker was seriously injured in Framingham Tuesday afternoon when a 5,000-pound backhoe slid down a snowy hill, pinning him underneath, fire officials said.
The victim, a 38-year-old man, sustained serious injuries to his pelvis and legs, but he is expected to live, according to Assistant Fire Chief Michael Dutcher.
The heavy duty vehicle slipped 15 feet down the hill due to the snow, and then it fell an additional 10 feet off a retaining wall just after 4 p.m., Dutcher said.
A heavy rescue response team used airbags to lift the vehicle and extricate the man, who was conscious and alert, according to Dutcher.
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The man was working for Mota Construction Corporation on a new housing development at 78 Oxbow Road in Framingham’s Saxonville neighborhood, Dutcher said.
He was airlifted to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester for treatment.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is responding to the accident, Dutcher added.
Reenat Sinay can be reached at reenat.sinay@globe.com.