Two Construction Workers Injured in Hawthorne Crane Collapse
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) continue to probe the cause of last Friday’s crane collapse at the site of what will be the new Amazon warehouse on Route 9A in Hawthorne.
Two construction workers were critically injured when a large crane collapsed at about noon at the property at 211 Saw Mill River Rd. on Mar. 17, said Mount Pleasant Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi, who immediately went to the scene with police. Both injured workers remained in Westchester Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit as of Sunday, one of whom lost a portion of a leg, Fulgenzi said. The other sustained a head injury.
“They were setting steel and obviously we don’t know yet what failed,” Fulgenzi said. “Something with the crane must have happened. Until OSHA makes their findings, we really have no determination on what the cause was.”
All construction at the 10.5-acre property has ceased until OHSA completes its investigation, he said. Town police have secured the site to make sure there is no unauthorized activity.
Fulgenzi said Route 9A was completely shut down during the early afternoon last Friday. The state Department of Transportation was able to open one lane in each direction shortly afterward. Sometime Saturday afternoon the thoroughfare was completely reopened, Fulgenzi said.
The property had been the site of the former Green Valley Nursery, but was sold for construction of a 153,000-square-foot warehouse. At the time of the Planning Board’s approval for the warehouse in July 2020, the identity of the tenant was not made public. The following year town officials revealed that it would be an Amazon facility.
It has been one of the projects in town that has caused concern among nearby residents who fear that development is creating untenable traffic congestion on Route 9A and on residential streets between that location and Bradhurst Avenue. There will be a traffic light installed at the intersection of Belmont Road and Route 9A, the closest intersection to the site.
Fulgenzi said the project had been slated for completion later this summer or in the fall before last week’s accident.
It is not known how long OSHA may need to wrap up the investigation or whether the accident may set back the timeline for the project, Fulgenzi said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
