Home / Crime and Justice / Owner appeals safety fines after deadly collapse
Owner appeals safety fines after deadly collapse
9 Apr
Summary
- Federal safety probe appeal to decide criminal charges.
- Owner fined over $41,000 following a deadly building collapse.
- Family received $700,000 from a $1 million wrongful death settlement.
The outcome of a federal workplace safety appeal is set to determine if criminal charges will be pursued following a fatal building collapse that occurred on July 31st in St. Marys. Local prosecutors are awaiting this decision.
OSHA had previously cited the building's owner, Todd Klosterman, and imposed a fine of more than $41,000 in November. This action stemmed from the investigation into the collapse that tragically claimed the life of Christopher Brown, who was working for Klosterman at the time.
Klosterman contested these citations in December before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Federal records indicate that a decision on this appeal has not yet been released. Auglaize County Prosecutor Ben Elder stated that his office would likely not proceed with criminal charges if the citations are dropped.
Separately, in a civil wrongful death case, an Auglaize County judge awarded Christopher Brown's family approximately $700,000 from a $1 million settlement. The family expressed satisfaction with this resolution given the circumstances.
