HEBRON – Shane Colton Albert of Hebron, who died in an accident Monday, was a mechanical genius and a hard worker who continued to work toward the end of his life, his parents, Keith and Jennifer Albert, said Wednesday. He was 25 years old that year.
“He loved life. He loved helping people,” Jennifer Albert said. “If you need help right now, he’s on the way.”
Shane Albert is a heavy equipment operator with Local 478 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. His parents said he was working a side job during the storm, shoveling residential and commercial properties in Hebron.
The incident occurred on Bent Mountain Road in Hebron when a ratchet strap broke and struck him in the head, Connecticut State Police said. The emergency response unfolded during heavy snowfall and high winds. Keith Albert said police have not yet told him and his wife the details of the crash.
Shane Albert grew up in Hebron and attended RHAM High School until 10th grade. He completed high school through Penn Foster online courses, his mother said.
He made a living operating giant excavators and enjoyed working on engines and equipment, his parents said. They said he was restoring an antique tractor and a café racer motorcycle at the time of his death.
Keith Abbott is a retired deputy captain with the West Hartford Fire Department and Jennifer Abbott is a real estate agent.
“Sean grew up around the firehouse and his kindness, warmth and enthusiasm touched many people both inside and outside our walls,” West Hartford Firefighters Local 1241 posted on Facebook. “We ask that our community keep Chief Albert and his family in their thoughts as they navigate this profound loss.”
Keith Albert said his son’s grandfathers were both firefighters and he would work shifts with him. Shane Albert joined the Hebron Fire Department as a cadet, but his father said he always wanted to operate machines like the tractors and backhoes he operated as a child on his family’s horse farm in Hebron.
His father said he planned to build his own house on a seven-acre property across from his parents’ home and that he wanted to get married and have children.
“This doesn’t look real,” Keith Abbott said in a Facebook post. “He was 25 and had his whole life ahead of him. It would have been a great life!
“We will push forward and we see him everywhere,” the post read. “Parents should never have to bury their children, especially at such a young age! We trust God and His promises! We love and miss you thank you!”
Sean Albert also enjoyed fishing, boating and snowmobiling, his parents said. In addition to his parents, survivors include his sister, Daniela Albert, and his grandparents on his mother’s side, Keith Albert said.
Funeral arrangements had not been completed as of Wednesday morning.
This article was originally published on Family of Connecticut man killed after being struck by ratchet strap during snowstorm says he had a ‘good life’ ahead of him.