NEED TO KNOW
- Jacob’s Pillow announced on social media on Aug. 1 that production manager Kat Sirico has died
- The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office said that Sirico died as a result of a workplace accident when Sirico and an intern were attempting to move platforms on a dolly down a slope
- Sirico “tripped and fell” and “the platforms fell from the dolly, landing on the decedent,” the office added
The death of a “beloved” employee at Jacob’s Pillow, a performance and festival space in Massachusetts, has been ruled accidental.
The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office determined that the employee — identified by Jacob’s Pillow as production manager Kat Sirico — died due to a workplace accident and said no criminal charges would be brought forward, according to the Times Union, The Berkshire Edge and WRGB-TV.
Sirico and an intern “were moving platforms used for staging for a theater across the Jacob’s Pillow property” in Becket on a dolly on Friday, Aug. 1, according to The Berkshire Edge and WRGB-TV, which cited the district attorney’s office. The pair attempted to move a dolly down a “sloped area” when they “lost control” of it and it began to roll down.
“The decedent attempted to regain control of the dolly; however, tripped and fell,” the office said, per the outlets. “The dolly ran over the decedent and the platforms fell from the dolly, landing on the decedent.”
Life-saving measures were performed on Sirico by bystanders, and Becket Police and first responders were dispatched to the area at around 12:30 p.m., the office said, per The Berkshire Edge.
The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, Aug. 2.
Jacob’s Pillow paid tribute to Sirico on Facebook and Instagram, sharing that the employee was a “beloved” member of the staff and an “essential part of our team.” The festival added that “their spirit, generosity, and dedication touched the lives of many.”
“We are holding their family, friends, and colleagues in our hearts as we grieve together,” Jacob’s Pillow added.
The company noted that as a result of the incident, all performances and events that were set to take place on the weekend between Aug. 1-3 have been canceled and the campus will be closed. It also noted that festival performances would resume next week.
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Sirico’s official cause of death will be announced by a medical examiner, the district attorney’s office said, per WRGB-TV.
Sirico had been involved with Jacob’s Pillow since 2005, starting out as an intern at the festival, according to Sirico’s LinkedIn.
Sirico went on to work as a production manager and an electrician at several theaters including Children’s Theater of Madison in Wisconsin and the University of Chicago’s Court Theater before returning to Jacob’s Pillow last year as an event production manager. Sirico then returned to Jacob’s Pillow in February as the Doris Duke Theater Production Manager.
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