MTA stops work on No. 7 train extension after fatal crane collapse

MTA officials ordered immediate inspections of cranes on all of its construction sites and halted work on the No. 7 subway extension Wednesday as investigators tried to figure out why a crane collapsed on top of workers Tuesday night, 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.

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 re-inspected 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.

The transit agency also expressed its condolences to Simmermeyer's family, saying, "We at the MTA grieve for this loss and vow to do everything we can to ensure that everyone working on projects to better the lives of all New
Yorkers can do so as safely as possible."

A spokesman for OSHA said it was "too early" to tell when the agency would complete its inspection and determine whether the MTA's subcontractors complied with workplace safety standards.