A group of five people were trapped underneath fallen scaffolding in SoHo Manhattan in December after
heavy winds caused the scaffolding to collapse said New York City officials. Just before noon emergency workers pulled the five pedestrians out from underneath the pile of broken wood and metal according to photos which were posted onto Twitter. “Scaffolding fell down at Broadway and Prince,” said the Twitter user @antinomia. “FDNY rescuing people from underneath. I walked under this just 15 minutes ago.”
Officials have blamed hard gusts of wind for the fallen scaffolding. Wind gusts like these are classified as short bursts of high speed wind according to Wikipedia.
“There were a couple of pedestrians buried in debris. Units were here in two minutes and we were able to get them out quickly,” Deputy Chief Chris Boyle said at the scene. Deputy Chief Boyle also noted that the scaffolding was “20 feet tall”, causing a great danger to the victims involved.
From the scene medics brought the five victims to Bellevue hospital where two victims were left in serious, but stable condition. The other three victims suffered minor injuries according to the FDNY. Boyle also noted that it was “very fortunate to only have five injuries.”
Employees of a nearby store on the same corner were stunned and shaken as they saw the scaffolding collapse and fall. “The scaffold moved forward and basically crushed her,” recounted William Alston, 30. “No wind can do that. It wasn’t put on right, or it’s just weak.”
Jonathan Mejia, 31, said he witnessed the scaffolding falling and rushed to help a victim buried under the wreckage. “I saw it coming down so I kind of looked out and saw someone under and ran out,” he recollected. “Then I saw her, and she said, ‘What happened?’ “She had a slash and her head was cracked open,” he added. “Her hip looked out of place and it looked like her leg was broken.”
Michiko C., of Queens, one of the victims, needed stitches on both legs after she was hit by a piece of metal debris from the scaffolding. She reports she had her 3-year-old daughter in a stroller when the scaffolding came crashing down. Thankfully, her child was not injured during the incident.
Incidents like these happen more often than we would hope. This incident has left two people in serious condition in the hospital and three others with minor injuries. Additionally, countless witnesses are left with scars from viewing the event and wondering if other scaffolding in New York City is just as unsafe. If you or a loved one have been affected by falling scaffolding, please do not hesitate to contact Kalra Law Firm for a free consultation at (718) 897-2211. You deserve to know your rights and to have the best defense fighting for the compensation you deserve. www.unionlawyer.com
