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Family grieves for man crushed by bulldozer at Beach construction site

Posted at 11:33 PM, May 06, 2014
and last updated 2014-05-07 11:04:19-04

Virginia Beach, Va. - Reginald Peterson saw his brother Brandon's crushed body after he was run over by a bulldozer.

"A truck came and I told him go ahead get out the way so I pulled up the truck and I sped back around he was laying on the ground," said Reginald Peterson.

Brandon Peterson was on a roller at a Virgnia Beach construction site off London Bridge Road Saturday morning. The machine wasn't working, Brandon got off the roller and tried to jump start it.

A co-worker operating a bulldozer was backing up and never saw Brandon, and rolled over the 23-year-old's body.

"I came back and he blew up like a balloon," Reginald Peterson said. "Ambulance come they never took him no where they just left him in the dirt for two hours, never took him no where. I sat out there for almost three hours with my brother just laying in the dirt, I mean it's just hard man."

"We are a tight knit family and we're gonna remain tight and strong, but we can't help that our shell is weak right now," said Elresa Peterson, Brandon's sister.

Brother and sister, Reginald and Elresa try to comfort one another.
Three days after the accident that took their brother's life, their minds are flooded with memories of the joy he brought and the sorrow that there are no new memories to be made.

Brandon was working for Miller Group. His brother says the roller Brandon was operating was faulty. The business was closed Tuesday night, and unavailable for comment.

"When you're working with heavy machinery be aware, be alert, know what you're getting into," Elresa Peterson said. "Just appreciate life."