Falling construction crane captured on video
AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) – Two people were evaluated for injuries after a crane toppled at a construction site in southeast Austin. One of those people was pinned beneath it before being freed.
The incident happened at 2301 E. St. Elmo Road at 8:57 a.m. Austin Travis County EMS said one of the men was taken to St. David’s South Austin hospital with injuries that were not expected to be life-threatening. The other man refused transport.
The red crane was on its side near what appears to be a partially-constructed concrete warehouse wall. Video taken on site showed the crane trying to lift a concrete wall when it appears one of the chains on a corner of the wall suddenly snaps and drops the concrete wall.
A worker who was standing on the concrete slab was knocked off as the crane and concrete wall came tumbling down. The workers who were standing nearby all made a mad dash to get out of the way. More than half a dozen workers could be seen standing around the crane when it started lifting the slab.
In August, a man working on a construction project in southeast Austin died after he was crushed by a 15-ton concrete slab that fell over onto the cab of a truck.