One Killed in Lower Manhattan Crane Collapse

TRIBECA, MANHATTAN, NY - A giant crane collapsed in lower Manhattan during Friday’s busy rush hour, killing one person and injuring three others, according to New York officials. Images from the scene showed the crane covering the entire length of a street.

A 38-year-old man killed in the collapse was sitting in a parked car at the time and was not a construction worker, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference just before 11 a.m. The victim was killed due to the impact of the crane. Authorities identified the victim as David Wichs, 38, of Manhattan. Wichs immigrated to the U.S. from Prague and graduated from Harvard University with a degree in mathematics, his sister-in-law told the Associated Press.

The other reported injuries were caused by falling debris. A 45-year-old woman was taken to Beekman Hospital with a leg injury and a laceration to the head. A 73-year-old male was taken to Bellevue Hospital with a laceration to the head. Both victims were transported in stable condition. The third injury was reported to be minor, according to the FDNY.

Units responded to the collapse along Worth Street at 8:24 a.m.

De Blasio said the crawler crane was being brought down to be secured when it collapsed and workers were directing traffic away from the site. The company that owns the crane, Bay Crane, has a safety standard that requires the crane to be brought down if winds are projected to reach 25 miles per hour. De Blasio said the standard was lower than most companies. Neither Bay Crane nor Galasso Trucking and Rigging, the company that operates the crane had any recent violations.

As a precaution, all 376 crawler cranes and 43 tower cranes in the city are being secured.

The person operating the crane at the time of the accident was 56-year-old Kevin Reilly, of Port Jefferson, the Daily News reported. Reilly is cooperating with police and no criminal charges have been filed. 

This is the first crane collapse in Manhattan since 2008, de Blasio said at the conference. Following two major crane collapses that year, the mayor said many precaution were taken to avoid a future incident. ConEd and the FDNY are sweeping buildings along Worth Street to ensure there are no elevated gas levels. The utility company closed off gas in most buildings as a precaution.

The NYPD wrote on Twitter that residents can expect traffic delays and emergency personnel near West Broadway and Worth Street. More than 100 fire department personnel responded to the scene. Roads in the immediate are expected to be closed for a few days.

Worth Street between Hudson and Church streets will be cut off for ”quite a while,” de Blasio said. He warned those who live or work in the area that there will be several days of disruption.

Weill Cornell Medicine Primary Care, a tenant at 40 Worth Street said in a statement all their staff in the building were accounted for and evacuated. Children attending Buckle My Shoe Nursery were also evacuated, a parent told Patch. Buckle My Shoe is also located at 40 Worth Street. Officials said four buildings were damaged as a result of the collapse and all evacuations were non-residential.

Due to the accident, the 1, 2 and 3 trains were bypassing the Chambers Street and Franklin Street stations. Train service has since resumed.

A full investigation is underway by the NYPD and the Department of Buildings.

Return to Patch for updates on this breaking news story.