28.03.2009

Crane tip causes power outage

A crawler crane, toppled over in Grand Rapids, Michigan last night, taking the power out in the local area. The accident occurred just before 19:00 in an alley off Weston Street and Commerce Avenue.
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The ground subsided under the rear track

A spokesman for the main contractor, Pioneer Construction, said a crew building the foundation for a multi storey car park was moving the crane, a Ruston Bucyrus 30B, “when it fell into a hole along the edge of the project”. The crane operator climbed out of the cab unhurt.

Photos suggest that the ground subsided under the crane, causing it to tip backwards, the boom then went over the rear, falling across overhead power lines, breaking wires and cutting off the power. It also narrowly missed a parked car.
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The boom only narrowly missed a parked car