Man dies after 40-foot fall in Lake Zurich

A DeKalb man died late Monday morning after falling about 40 feet at a Lake Zurich construction site, according to the Lake County coroner's office.

James Vaughn, 52, was working on a major warehouse addition to a manufacturing plant at 505 Oakwood Road, not far from Lake Zurich High School, when he fell, said deputy coroner Mike Reid.

"It does appear to be accidental," Reid said.

Vaughn was pronounced dead at the scene when emergency crews arrived at about 11:30 a.m., Reid said.

An autopsy was under way late Tuesday afternoon, and coroner's officials said the cause of death was most likely related to a head injury.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration was on the scene Monday, but the investigation could take up to six months to complete.