via the Seattle Fire Department
In April 2019, a tower crane disassembly turned deadly when it suddenly toppled into a Seattle, WA street below, killing two ironworkers and 2 others that were crushed by the falling crane while sitting in their cars. With the hopes of a tragedy like this never happening again, state lawmakers have proposed new legislation for crane procedures.
Read morevia the Seattle Fire Department
On April 27, a tower crane on the construction site of a new Google campus building in Seattle, Washington was being dismantled when it suddenly fell onto the open street below. The incident resulted in the death of two ironworkers, two civilians, and injuries to 4 others. Family members of the victims and two of the injured people have filed lawsuits against five companies.
Read moreConstruction can be an extreme business, containing some of the most awe-inspiring structures and building practices, but also some seriously dangerous situations. Those situations can be a great tool for positive marketing or a nightmare, given the circumstances, and with smartphone cameras in everyone’s pocket, it’s easy to capture those moments.
Read morevia the Seattle Fire Department
In April, a tower crane being dismantled suddenly collapsed onto an open street in Seattle, Washington killing 2 workers and 2 civilians. Recent violations issued by the state of Washington have confirmed theories that prematurely removed pins were to blame for the incident.
Read moreOn Saturday afternoon, tragedy struck downtown Seattle as a tower crane that was being dismantled suddenly fell to the street below, killing two ironworkers and 2 people that were in their cars, as well as injuring 4 others. Dashcam footage of that collapse has recently surfaced, giving some clues as to why the crane fell as it did.
After reviewing the video and pictures from the scene, many believe that the pins, which secure the tower crane sections together, were pulled prematurely. King5 News reports that experts point to the fact that the base section of the crane did not move at all. Many initial reports pointed to wind gusts that rolled through the area, but it now appears that the wind only played a small part as the structure was significantly weakened.
In King5’s story, attorney David Kwass, who has worked on the litigation for crane incidents in the past, drew comparisons to a 2012 crane collapse in Dallas. In that case, many thought the wind was a big factor, but it was later discovered that the crane had been prematurely de-pinned.
As the investigation rolls on, let’s not lose sight of the fact that 4 people lost their lives and many others will be affected by witnessing the incident for years to come. King5 also reported that the victims were 33-year-old Travis Corbet and 31-year-old Andrew Yoder, both ironworkers, as well as a 19-year-old college freshman Sarah Wong and 71-year-old Alan Justad.
The video of the incident shared on YouTube is below.
