Man Crushed to Death by 2,000-Pound Machine at Brooklyn Job Site: Officials

By Mira Wassef & Amy Yensi, PIX 11

BROOKLYN (PIX11) — A 46-year-old construction worker was crushed to death when a 2,000-pound machine fell on him at a Brooklyn job site Monday morning, officials said.

Authorities responded to an emergency call for a person trapped under a heavy machine at 1 Java Street in Greenpoint at 9:15 a.m., according to the FDNY. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

“We have stopped all work at the site to thoroughly investigate exactly what occurred,” Department of Buildings Commissioner Eric Ulrich said. “Nothing is more important than keeping New Yorkers safe, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the public, including members of the construction industry.”

The worker was trying to move some piping and other construction materials from one side of the job site to another when the extension on an excavator collapsed, according to the Department of Buildings. It is unclear why the extension broke.

The man was an employee at Lendlease Construction and was working on a project for a new 14-story building. A stop-work order will be issued and there will be a thorough review of this and all the other job sites for the general contractor.

“We are saddened to confirm a fatal construction accident occurred this morning at the 1 Java St. job site in Brooklyn,” Lendlease spokesman Tom Reller said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the individual’s loved ones. At this time, we are in the process of investigating the incident in full coordination with appropriate authorities.”

The man has not been identified and his family is being notified, officials said.

The DOB and NYPD have a joint ongoing investigation. Part of the investigation will be to determine if the people in charge of the site implemented the proper safeguards and safety measures that city regulations require, according to the DOB.

Ulrich said there had previously been a few 311 noise complaints made about the job site but nothing that warranted any violations. The worker was wearing all the proper safety gear at the time of the accident, authorities said.