A section of a crane fell onto a bridge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, killing one man and injuring two others.
According toFort Lauderdale Fire and Rescue(FLFR), the construction accident occurred in the area of the Southeast 3rd Ave Bridge on Thursday, April 4.
“During the process of ‘stepping the crane,’ a large section in the operation fell from an elevated position,” FLFR shared in a Facebook post on Thursday. The man who died as well as the two others who were injured were all transported to Broward Health.
Jorge De La Torre.Jorge De la Torre/Facebook
Jorge De la Torre/Facebook
FLFR Chief Stephen Gollan said the incident occurred as a construction crew was working on a high-rise building.
“It was not the crane per se that actually failed," Gollan said per CBS affiliateWFOR. “It was a platform that they had equipment staged on that had failed at the time of the incident and those items fell from the building down onto the bridge below.”
A scene from a construction accident in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that killed a construction worker and two other people on April 4, 2024.Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue
In an email to PEOPLE Friday, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said the deceased victim has been identified as Jorge De La Torre, 27.
“We are working on gathering the information for the other involved parties and when more information is available it will be provided,” the department added.
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The incident resulted in a shutdown of the bridge between East Las Olas Blvd and SE 6th Street on Thursday. Traffic resumed normal the following day after some repairs, police added.
Mark Cerezin, who was driving his car on the bridge at the time, told theSouth Florida Sun Sentinelthat he hit the brakes as “this big, huge, massive piece of blue steel” fell onto his vehicle. The piece then bounced off the bridge and hit another vehicle on Cerezin’s right.
“I understand that there was a fatality, and I of course feel bad for that family, for that person and that family who has to go through that,” Cerezin told the outlet. “I’m just grateful to be able to go home to my wife and to my friends.”
According to the outlet, the two individuals who were taken to the hospital have since been released.
TheAssociated Pressreported the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue are looking into the incident.
source: people.com
