Putnam Valley Man Killed in Skid Steer Accident

Joseph Petti of Putnam Valley died July 24.

A Putnam Valley man was killed Friday in a reported construction equipment accident.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has identified Joseph Petti, 56, as the victim.

According to the police report, just after 5 p.m. July 24, deputies responded to a residence on Park Drive to assist emergency medical personnel with a reported construction equipment accident involving a skid steer.

Petti was found deceased at the scene when the first deputies arrived.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Crime Scene Unit began an investigation, and preliminary data indicates that Petti was operating a skid steer on his property when he apparently fell from the machine and sustained a fatal head injury.

Investigators determined that he was not pinned beneath or run over by the machine.

The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

The Putnam County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and, as is standard procedure in cases of unattended deaths, an autopsy was scheduled to assist in determining the official cause and manner of death.