MnDOT employee killed in construction accident was Belle Plaine fire lieutenant

(FOX 9) - People lined the streets of Belle Plaine Thursday to honor a community member and volunteer firefighter who was killed during a construction work accident.

A spokesperson with the Minnesota Department of Transportation said an employee, 54-year-old Michael Gau, was hit by a truck and killed in a work zone incident on Wednesday evening. State officials said he was working on the Rockford Road/Highway 169 project in Plymouth.

"MnDOT is grieving this tragic death and focused on supporting Michael’s colleagues and family," a spokesperson said in a statement.

Plymouth city officials said the Plymouth Public Safety Department responded to a report of a pedestrian that was struck by a dump truck at Rockford Road and Nathan Lane North shortly before 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Gau was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gau was a 23-year veteran and lieutenant with the Belle Plaine Fire Department. His colleagues said even after more than two decades, his dedication to the fire service never wavered.

"I would say his life revolved around the fire department and his family," said Bruce Applegarth, a retired firefighter who worked with Gau for 13 years. "We're just going to remember all the good things that Mike did. It's going to take a while to heal."

Retired and current Belle Plaine firefighters remembered Gau as a father with an infectious laugh and the person they'd want next to them on a call.

"We're grieving, but we'll step on that truck tomorrow because that's what he'd want us to do. He'd want us to make sure that we're throwing jokes around and enjoying life like he did every day," said Tony Olson, a firefighter with the Belle Plaine Fire Department.

On Thursday afternoon, community members and neighboring fire departments lined the procession route from Minnetonka to Belle Plaine. 

"It just shows the respect a town has for our firefighters and also for Mike," said Jeff Vinkemeier, a longtime friend of Gau.

Vinkemeier said Gau always showed up to community events, like National Night Out, and was the first person to jump in when someone needed help.

"He had a great laugh that everyone knew ... So if I heard his laugh, I knew he was around," he said. 

MnDOT officials said after the work zone incident, they immediately notified Minnesota’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to begin an investigation and the agency is closely coordinating with the Plymouth Police Department and Minnesota State Patrol.