Fatal crane collapse could cost the city $30M

The February 2015 accident left one man with a “traumatic brain injury”

The collapsed crane on Worth Street in Tribeca (credit: FDNY)
The collapsed crane on Worth Street in Tribeca (credit: FDNY)

A 73-year-old man who was nearly killed when a construction crane crashed onto his car on Worth Street back in February will sue the city for $30 million for his injuries.

Thomas O’Brien’s skull and spine were fractured when strong winds sent a 600-foot-tall crane crashing down onto his Jeep, according to court papers cited by the New York Post.

O’Brien suffered a “traumatic brain injury,” court documents say. He was also traumatized by the wait for rescue workers to free him, he claims.

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The city “failed to ensure cranes were being properly used” and “failed to secure cranes despite warnings of extreme weather/high winds,” according to the papers.

The accident killed mathematician David Wichs, and a New Jersey woman, Dawn Kojima, suffered head and leg injuries. [NYP]Christopher Cameron