New York Teen Severs Arm In Accident At Massena Restaurant

A teenager employed at an Italian restaurant upstate severed his arm while cleaning an industrial pasta maker. According to the AP, 17-year-old Brett Bouchard was cleaning the machine at Violi’s Restaurant on Thursday evening when his right arm became caught and was severed at the elbow.

A hospital spokeswoman said Sunday morning he was “definitely in a good place” in regard to the improvement in his condition, and confirmed Sunday night that his condition had not changed from serious. Ross Violi, co-owner of the restaurant, said the youth successfully underwent the first in a series of operations Saturday.

“He’s in our thoughts and prayers,” Mr. Violi said.

Michael Walsh, who was having dinner with his wife, Joanne, at the time of the incident, said he had spoken with the family Sunday and that it “sounds like things are coming the right way.”

“Things are going as well as expected,” he said. He declined to provide details on the events, saying “it happened and that was it. I don’t think we want to talk about it.”

A woman who answered the phone Sunday at a home in Massena listed under Bouchard said she was a relative, but didn’t want to talk about the teen’s condition.

Mr. Violi said he didn’t receive an update on his employee’s condition Sunday, but he hopes to have more information by Tuesday.

It remained unclear whether the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration would be investigating the restaurant, and efforts to reach officials Sunday were unsuccessful. The closest OSHA office is in Syracuse, a spokesman said Friday.

Agencies/Canadajournal