Thursday afternoon in Montrose Township, Michigan, the community was stunned by the tragic loss of 19-year-old Mason TerBurgh of Clio, who died when a mini-excavator he was operating slid down a wet, icy slope and overturned, crushing him instantly.
Mason was working on a job site along the 12 000 block of Wilson Road on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. According to authorities, the excavator lost traction on the sloped surface, tipping over and fatally pinning Mason beneath. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
The accident is being investigated by both the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) and the Montrose Township Police Department. Officials have not yet released the name of the company involved, pointing instead to an ongoing investigation. With Mason’s death, Michigan has now recorded its 39th workplace fatality of the year, underscoring how hazardous construction sites can be when weather and terrain combine unpredictably.
Born January 16, 2006 in Grand Blanc, Mason had already made a name for himself as a gifted fiber-optics technician with Do It Rite Cable Inc.. His commitment, natural aptitude, and boundless enthusiasm were widely admired. Outside work, Mason lived for the outdoors: dirt biking, fishing with his best friend Hunter, camping under star-filled skies, hunting, and gathering around bonfires with friends were all part of his vibrant, loving spirit. Cooking up something fun for his siblings and laughing freely with them were the moments he cherished most.
Mason was a beloved son, grandson, brother, and friend. He is survived by his parents, Brian (Tamara) TerBurgh and Brandi Taylor (Micheal Lasley); siblings Mckenna (Jake) Strand, Jacob (Chloe) TerBurgh, Jackson Stevens, Wyatt Taylor, Coralin May, and Gauge Stinnett; his niece and nephew Oakleigh TerBurgh and Huckson Strand; grandparents Jacob (Brenda) TerBurgh and Frank (Denise) Stevens; great-grandparents Mike (Diane) Reynolds, Jane Barrett, and Julie Stevens; and countless extended family members, dear friends, and his girlfriend, Maddie Hardacre. He was preceded in death by great-grandfathers, a grandfather, an uncle, and an aunt.
Two funeral services will celebrate Mason’s life on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at O’Guinn Family Funeral Home in Clio: the first at 1:00 p.m. (officiated by Pastor Wesley Hunter), the second at 5:00 p.m. (officiated by Pastor Bill Christensen). The family will be receiving visitors prior to each service.
Though Mason’s time was tragically short, the warmth, laughter, and fearless love for life he left behind point to a legacy far larger than his years. His story is a sober reminder of how fragile life can be—and how much one young soul can matter to all those around him.
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