The Tragic Timeline: What Happened In The Peter Baker & Son Accident And The Company's 2025 Status

The search term "Peter Baker and son accident" primarily leads to a series of high-profile workplace safety incidents involving the Illinois-based road construction firm, Peter Baker & Son Co. This article, updated in December 2025, details the most tragic event—a 2019 fatality—and connects it to the company’s continuing safety challenges, including recent regulatory fines in 2024, highlighting the persistent need for stringent workplace safety standards in the construction industry. The history of the company is directly tied to the name, founded over a century ago by a father and son team, but the "accident" refers to a corporate tragedy that had profound implications for employee safety and regulatory oversight. The company remains an active contractor in the region, securing new contracts as recently as 2024, despite the scrutiny over its safety record.

The Founding Family and Corporate Profile of Peter Baker & Son Co.

The company's name is a direct reference to its founders, establishing a century-long legacy in the construction sector.

• Founders: Peter Baker and his son, Arthur Baker Sr.
• Year Founded: 1915
• Original Business: Started as a roofing business.
• Current Focus: A major road construction and paving contractor primarily operating in Illinois, specifically Lake County.
• Current Leadership: The company is currently under the control of the 4th generation of the founding family, including brothers, maintaining the multi-generational business structure.
• Headquarters: Lake Bluff, Illinois.
• Status (2025): Peter Baker & Son Co. remains a private and active entity, continuing to bid on and secure public works contracts for road resurfacing and construction projects.

This historical context is vital, as the name "Peter Baker & Son Co." has become intertwined with a significant workplace fatality, which serves as a stark reminder of the safety risks inherent in heavy construction and infrastructure work.

The Fatal 2019 Work Zone Accident Involving Laura Casey

The most severe incident linked to the company name occurred in the early hours of June 25, 2019. This tragic event centered on a night-time road resurfacing project, a high-risk environment for construction workers and flaggers.

Details of the Tragic Fatality

The victim of the fatal accident was 56-year-old Laura Casey of Antioch, Illinois. She was employed by Peter Baker & Son Co. as a road construction flagger, a role critical for managing traffic flow and worker safety in active work zones. The accident took place at approximately 12:15 a.m. Ms. Casey was struck and killed by a coworker who was operating a ten-wheeled 2005 Sterling Acterra dump truck. The investigation determined that the coworker was backing up the dump truck, which was being used to haul away the milled road surface. Ms. Casey, who was wearing high-visibility clothing, sustained crushing injuries. This event immediately triggered an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The death of a flagger in a work zone highlights a serious and persistent issue in the construction industry: the dangers associated with moving heavy equipment and the critical need for effective communication and clear safety protocols, especially during low-visibility, night-time operations. The loss of a worker like Laura Casey underscores the human cost of safety failures.

OSHA's Findings and The Company's Ongoing Safety Record (2024 Update)

Following the 2019 fatality, OSHA launched a thorough inspection (Inspection: 1410855.015) to determine the cause and whether the company had violated federal workplace safety standards. A key focus of the investigation was the company’s internal safety procedures, particularly those governing the operation of heavy machinery like dump trucks in close proximity to ground workers, such as flaggers, in active construction zones. The goal of the federal agency's involvement is to prevent similar tragedies by enforcing strict adherence to safety regulations.

Recent Safety Violations and Fines

While the final penalty amount for the 2019 fatality is not consistently published in public summaries, the company's safety record has continued to draw regulatory attention in the years that followed, providing the most current and relevant news about the "Peter Baker & Son" entity. * 2024 Workplace Safety Violations: Public records indicate that Peter Baker & Son Co. was cited by OSHA for additional workplace safety or health violations in 2024. * Recent Penalties: These recent citations in 2024 resulted in financial penalties, including one reported fine of $12,000 and another violation with a penalty of $6,342. These recent fines, nearly five years after the fatal 2019 accident, demonstrate that the company remains under scrutiny regarding its compliance with safety standards and that the challenges of maintaining a zero-incident work environment are ongoing. Violations often relate to inadequate safety training, poor equipment maintenance, or failure to enforce established work zone protocols. The continuous presence of Peter Baker & Son Co. in the news for both significant contracts—such as the 2024 Kane County construction agreement—and for regulatory violations, emphasizes the delicate balance between high-volume construction work and the absolute necessity of rigorous safety management. The tragic 2019 accident remains a powerful case study in the construction industry, driving home the point that robust safety culture is non-negotiable for any company, especially one with a long-standing legacy and active contracts in 2025.