A quiet stretch of Park Drive in Putnam Valley became the scene of a fatal work accident Friday evening when 56-year-old contractor Joseph S. Petti, who ran JSP Sewer & Drain Cleaning, was killed after a fall from a skid steer on his property. Emergency crews rushed to the address, where Putnam County Coroner John Bouges pronounced him dead. Family, friends, and neighbors in the tight-knit community are grieving the sudden loss, which locals describe as a gut punch. Local reporting has identified Petti as the owner of the sewer-service business.
According to a news release from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to the Park Drive residence at about 5:08 p.m. on Friday, July 24, and found Petti deceased at the scene. The Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Crime Scene Unit responded, and investigators believe he fell from the skid steer he had been operating. They determined he was not pinned underneath or run over by the several-ton machine.
Autopsy and Probe
Mid Hudson News reports that Coroner John Bouges pronounced Petti dead at the scene and that an autopsy has been scheduled to help determine the official cause and manner of death. In the same incident, Sheriff Brian Hess said, "The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation," according to a release from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. Local coverage notes that relatives are in deep mourning and that the loss has weighed heavily on the town.
About the Business
The company is listed as JSP Sewer & Drain Cleaning, with a ProView entry at The Blue Book giving the main location as 37 Park Drive and naming Joe Petti as the owner. The professional listing includes contact numbers for the firm and a link to its website.
Other Recent County Fatalities
Putnam County has already seen other deadly skid-steer incidents this summer. In mid-June, a 27-year-old man, Tyler Pfister, died after a skid steer fell on him in Patterson, reporting by Daily Voice shows. Authorities described that earlier death as accidental. Federal safety guidance from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) warns that operators who leave the seat or are ejected can be crushed or caught by skid-steer loaders and urges strict compliance with manufacturer procedures and use of restraint systems.
Officials have scheduled an autopsy and say the investigation remains ongoing, Mid Hudson News reports. The county coroner and sheriff's investigators continue to examine how the incident unfolded as the community waits for answers.
