NEW YORK CITY: Construction Crane Collapses In Tribeca, At Least One Killed, Several Injured [VIDEO]

A massive 565-foot construction crane collapsed this morning in downtown Manhattan as operators were attempting to secure it under high winds. At least one person was killed in his parked car and wreckage is strewn for two city blocks. Con Ed workers have cut power and gas lines to the area as a precaution. This is the first crane collapse in New York City since a rash of such incidents resulted in multiple deaths several years ago. From the New York Daily News:

The crane smashed into the pavement right past the Sergeant’s Benevolent Association office. Two workers at the union office ran out and tried to free the man trapped in car and saw a second man dead under the crane. Initial reports said the victim was a pedestrian. He was not immediately identified. “He looked like a maintenance worker,” said SBA President Edward Mullins. “He was dressed in a maintenance uniform. He didn’t look like a construction worker. We placed a blanket over him,” he said. The crane goes “almost two blocks,” he added. On Thursday, the crane was loading heavy air conditioning equipment to the roof of the construction site, Mullins said. “I saw it yesterday,” Mullins sad. “I thought to myself if this comes down its going to take out our building.”

Mayor Bill De Blasio, who is holding a press conference at this writing, commented that it was a miracle that the crane mostly fell lengthwise along the street. Lawsuits that arose from earlier crane collapses bankrupted several major construction companies.