Cause of fatal Manhattan crane crash probed

MTA officials ordered immediate inspections Wednesday of all cranes on its construction sites and halted work on the No. 7 subway extension a day a crane collapsed on top of workers Tuesday killing one man and injuring four others.

Officials from the NYPD, Manhattan district attorney's office, Department of Buildings and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were collecting evidence Wednesday at the construction site on 11th Avenue between 33rd and 34th streets. It is not known what caused the collapse.

Michael Simmermeyer, 30, of Burlington, N.J., was killed when an 80-foot piece and 40-foot piece of the crane suddenly fell onto workers just after 7:20 p.m. Tuesday, officials said. An unidentified 48-year-old man who worked for Yonkers Contracting Company, which owned and was responsible for the crane, was taken to Bellevue Hospital and was in stable condition with a leg injury.

A spokeswoman for the medical examiner's officer said Simmermeyer died from blunt impact injuries to the torso, and that his death was ruled accidental.

The MTA said the crane, which passed its most recent annual inspection, was due to be reinspected Thursday by the city's buildings department. Inspections released by the agency showed there were no deficiencies with the equipment.

Tony Sclafani, a spokesman for the Department of Buildings, said he could not comment on the conditions found at that site, citing the ongoing investigation. He said engineers are examining the crane, along with its inspection history.

The station being constructed will extend the No. 7 line to the far West Side of Manhattan. The project is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

In a statement, the MTA said it is examining a proposal made by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn Wednesday to put its construction sites under the city's authority. They are currently under state jurisdiction, since the MTA is a state agency.