Driver narrowly escapes when construction equipment collapses on car

NEW YORK (WCBS) - A crane-like portion of a construction vehicle collapsed on a New York City street, nearly crushing a driver and just missing a pedestrian.

A 22-year-old driver was stopped at a light in the Bronx around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday when part of a construction vehicle known as a boom truck crashed down on her car.

Witnesses rushed to pull the driver out of the car. She suffered only minor injuries.

“I expected to see somebody dead or crushed. A few seconds later, he pulls her out,” said witness Ali Algaheim, who works in a store nearby. “She was a little bit confused herself, surprised that she made it. I’m still shaking.”

Many noted that had the driver’s car been just a few inches forward, she may not have been able to walk away.

“I think they said about 6 inches, right? She was right there,” Algaheim said.

The crane-like arm that fell also just missed a man walking nearby. It took out a traffic light and spilled rebar onto the road.

Construction at 33 Bedford Park Boulevard, a new 11-story residential building, was halted and about 29 workers evacuated as a precaution.

The Department of Buildings says a preliminary investigation found that as the articulating boom truck was lifting a load of rebar from a trailer onto the roof, the arm of the boom failed and collapsed. The cause of the failure is under investigation.

The DOB says an inspection of the building itself found several safety violations. Summonses were issued for failure to safeguard the construction site, failure to obtain electrical permits and a construction elevator violation.

A partial stop work order was issued, preventing material deliveries and all work above 75 feet, until the conditions are resolved.

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