A crane being used to construct the new Tappan Zee Bridge in New York has collapsed across active lanes of traffic. The collapse happened on Tuesday and is blocking all lanes of traffic on the bridge that it was replacing. So far the news outlets report 5 people are injured due to the incident.
The crane fell just after noon on Tuesday. Governor Cuomo said that the crane was operating a vibratory hammer, had an issue, and then collapsed. Initial reports describe three drivers were hurt along with two construction workers. The crane operator survived with minor injuries as he was thrown from the cab into the water below when the crane toppled. The Coast Guard was able to successfully rescue him.
This isn't the first crane to collapse in New York this year, either. In February, a crane that was extended over 500 feet collapsed onto a street, killing a man who was walking to work and injuring 3 others. That collapse was caught on camera by a neighbor.
No word yet on when the bridge may be reopened or what the cause of the accident was. Engineers did tell CBS local news that the crane was new and the collapse was not caused by wind.
Full story: Construction Crane Collapses Onto Tappan Zee Bridge; One Lane Seriously Damaged | CBS Local News
Unbelievable how close drivers were to complete disaster on the #TappanZeeBridge. This from a witness I interviewed pic.twitter.com/VvVx7E9GRu
— Jessica Layton (@JLaytonNews) July 19, 2016
#Breaking: new photos of giant crane collapsed on #TappanZeeBridge in #NYC. https://t.co/nGbXfG1CPC #TheJobsite pic.twitter.com/eLC7m5Cyvr
— The Jobsite (@jobsitenews) July 19, 2016
.@NYGovCuomo said New Yorkers remained calm despite four HOURS stuck on #TappanZeeBridge like @pammy_anne #NBC4NY pic.twitter.com/GhDjqXjI3F
— Andrew Siff (@andrewsiff4NY) July 19, 2016
On Tuesday morning, February 23, the Syracuse Fire Department responded to a call about a collapsed crane on a construction site near the university. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.