46°
Derrick Paris, a North Arlington native who lived with his family in West Caldwell the past 15 years, was on an assignment with E-J Electric for Orange & Rockland Utilities when he and co-worker Justin McLoughlin, 28, of Trenton, Ga., were killed.
Both Paris and his partner were veterans with decades of experience between them, authorities said.
A Mass was scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at St. Stephens Church, 141 Washington Avenue in Kearny, with burial to follow in Holy Cross Cemetery, 340 Ridge Road in North Arlington.
Visiting hours are from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Armitage Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive in Kearny, where Paris was born.
Paris, who was a lineman for I.B.E.W. Local 94, loved sports, especially the Giants and Yankees, and playing wiffle ball with his two sons, Matthew and Daniel. He also had a "great passion" for music and enjoyed playing drums, his obituary says.
He also leaves behind his wife, Caroline (nee Arrigo), siblings Kim Farrell and Doug and Todd Paris, in addition to many nieces and nephews.
In a tragic coincident, Paris, who was a twin, was graduated from North Arlington High School in 1986 with Jon Warbeck of Lincoln Park, who was killed with his son and a gas attendant in February when a car driven by an overdosing heroin addict slammed into a Route 23 Delta station.
SEE: Hearing Set For Driver In Gas Station Crash That Killed Dad, Teenage Son, Attendant
OSHA and New York State investigators were trying to determine what happened during what Warwick police said was routine inspection and maintenance.
"The guy wire became energized at some point for some reason,” O&R spokesman Mike Donovan said.
It sparked a brush fire around 10 a.m. Monday that destroyed the dead workers’ ATV, authorities said.
Roughly 13,000 area customers were temporarily without power while investigators worked.
Guy wires, which help hold a utility pole in place during storms and high winds, aren’t purposely energized. They can conduct electricity, however, if they aren’t properly grounded.
People and pets have reportedly been killed in those instances.
Utility companies often cover the wires with yellow plastic that makes them more noticeable. Authorities urge awareness and caution, however.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Garfield-Lodi and receive free news updates.
