Argyle residents raise funds for family of construction worker killed in accident

Argyle residents are raising money to help the family of a construction worker killed Thursday when an indoor athletic facility north of Argyle High School collapsed.

Setting up a GoFundMe account, residents had collected $5,000 as of early Friday.

The identity of the worker has not been released by officials but the victim was identified as 36-year-old Julio Ledesma according to media reports and the GoFundMe website states that he was a single father of three girls.

The 46,000-square-foot building was under construction, killing one and injuring three others.

Early Friday, flags at Argyle Town Hall flew at half staff while residents tucked flowers inside the chain link fence covered with a blue tarp that now surrounds the accident scene.

No students, parents or Argyle Independent School District personnel were inside or near the collapsed building, said Dr. Telena Wright, Argyle ISD superintendent, during a press conference Thursday morning.

Numerous police and fire personnel were on scene soon after the incident shortly before 8 a.m.

Of the three injured, two were transported to area hospitals though none were believed to be in serious condition, according to fire officials. A medical examiner confirmed the fatality inside the structure, according to district officials.

As part of a $45 million bond package passed last year, the indoor facility was to include a 60-yard field to allow indoor practices for athletics and band during inclement weather.

At the time of the collapse, the structure was mostly comprised of large steel support beams. Construction on the project began in December, according to district documents. A mound of steel covered several construction vehicles at the scene.

The project was being built by Northstar Builders, according to a bond update posted on the Argyle ISD website.

Argyle Fire Chief Mac Hohenberger said the worker who was killed was in the bucket of a crane about 30 feet in the air above the construction site when the building began to collapse, tipping the crane over.

A thorough investigation will be conducted by appropriate agencies, according to Argyle school district officials.