Crane Accident: Queens, N.Y.

January 2013—Seven people were hurt, three seriously, when a crawler crane’s more than 200 ft. of lattice tower and boom crashed down onto a building under construction. The tower and boom fell onto wood decking atop the partially completed first floor of the structure. Although some of the injured had to be freed from beneath pieces of the fallen crane, a fire department spokesman said broken bones were the most severe of the injuries and that none of the injuries were life threatening. When completed, the structure will be a 25-story apartment building. One witness said the crane had been up for about four or five days. The Department of Buildings is investigating the accident. – www.timesunion.com