Construction on the $2.3 billion "I-4 Ultimate" project was shut down Wednesday afternoon after a construction worker was killed, the first reported death to occur on the job in the six-year project.

Marvin Franklin, 34, of Orlando was killed when a dump truck pulled into the work area on the eastbound side of Interstate 4 between Eatonville and Maitland at about 11:30 a.m. Franklin walked behind the truck, and it then backed up over him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

It's unclear how long the I-4 Ultimate project will be delayed by the worker's death.

A woman who works as a nurse was driving by and saw some of the commotion, so she said she pulled over to see whether she could help. But it was too late.

“I saw the man lying there, so I thought maybe he was injured," Ferren Harrell said. "And I didn’t see an ambulance yet, so I figured as a nurse, I would stop by and give a helping hand to see what I could do to help in the situation.”

Harrell said moments later, she saw the man’s body lifted into a coroner’s van.

"The cause of the accident is not known at this time, and we will conduct an investigation in partnership with local authorities. Our focus now is to ensure we support individuals and families as they deal with this tragic event. We want to thank the police, fire, and local EMS for their rapid response," SGL Constructors, Franklin's employer, said in a statement.

Along the stretch of I-4 where the accident occurred, I-4 construction crews were working to expand the eastbound lanes and build a barrier wall. The 21-mile I-4 Ultimate project is a multiyear makeover of the interstate in Central Florida that will include widening the roadway to 10 lanes in some areas and adding express toll lanes.

The man driving the dump truck, 49-year-old Riomar Morales, was not injured.

News 13 has reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation, which heads up the I-4 Ultimate project, to ask how this could happen. FDOT said they do not know and are investigating the incident and assisting authorities.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the fatality.


Florida Highway Patrol troopers respond to the scene near Maitland where a dump truck struck and killed a construction worker Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016 off Interstate 4. (Jonathan Shaban, staff)