Mine manager admits to manslaughter in quarry death

TROY — A mine manager at the R.J. Valente Gravel business in Grafton entered a guilty plea in Rensselaer County Court Friday for his operation of a crane in 2022 that caused the death of a mechanic when a piece of the crane struck him, state and local officials said.

Anthony Valente of Mechanicville entered the guilty plea to second-degree manslaughter in return for a six-month jail sentence and five years of probation in the death of mechanic Darren Miller, 35, on Oct. 1, 2022 at the limestone quarry, according to the U.S. Labor Department, which investigated.

The labor department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration determined that Valente overrode the crane’s safety features when he used it to lower a replacement engine into a haul truck. Miller was guiding the engine into place when the crane’s 285-pound overhaul hook ball detached and fell on him, the agency said. The investigators found the crane was tagged “out of service” during prior inspections, but the investigation into Miller’s death revealed that Valente operated the damaged crane without repairing it.

After its investigation, the

Mine Safety and Health Administration cited the mining company for failing to remove the damaged crane from service and for not ensuring Miller stayed clear of suspended loads as he worked to replace the haul truck’s engine.

“Tragically, this incident was completely preventable,” said Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda in a statement. “When employers avoid their legal obligations, the U.S. Department of Labor will use its enforcement powers to hold them accountable, including working with state and local prosecutors whenever we discover potentially criminal misconduct.”

The federal agency partnered with the Rensselaer County district attorney’s office and Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew B. Hauf appeared at the proceeding. Valente will be sentenced June 14.