Worker Killed by Truck at Meta Data Center in Lebanon, Indiana
A 33-year-old construction worker was killed by a pickup truck at Meta's data center construction site in Lebanon, Indiana. The Lebanon Police Department is investigating the incident. Separately, Boone County Commissioners have enacted a one-year moratorium on new data center applications in unincorporated areas.
Christopher Lawe, a 33-year-old construction worker from Oklahoma, was fatally struck by a pickup truck on Monday evening at Meta's data center construction site in Lebanon, Indiana. The incident occurred near County Road 400 West and State Road 32, and the Lebanon Police Department's Crash Investigation Team is examining the circumstances.
Mortenson, the general contractor for the project, confirmed the death of a project team member and stated that counseling and support resources are being made available to its crew. Mortenson, along with Turner Construction and Faith Technologies, is building the multi-building, 4 million-square-foot campus, which represents a $10 billion investment and Meta's second data center project in Indiana. The project, which broke ground in February 2026, is expected to create thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent positions. The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration, part of the Indiana Department of Labor, has jurisdiction over private construction workplace fatalities in the state.
Notably, the Meta campus is located within the LEAP Research and Innovation District. In June, the Boone County Commissioners enacted a one-year moratorium on new data center applications in unincorporated areas.