Texas Mobile Crane Accident
A mobile crane that was removing steel beams to dismantle an old river bridge near Smithville, Texasd became overloaded and toppled Wednesday, killing one worker and injuring another.The mobile crane
smashed into a raised basket where the two men were working. One worker was killed when he was knocked off the bridge. The deceased worker fell about 60 feet from the top of the old bridge and landed on construction equipment.
Mobile Crane Topples Over
The workers were trying to loosen the joints of one beam, or girder, when another beam also became loose and caused the crane to topple.The operator of the crane managed to get out of the way and wasn't injured. The two men in the lift basket wore safety belts, and the injured worker remained tethered to the basket with his belt after the accident. The crane tumbled from what appeared to a manmade gravel base and landed partly in the water. The bridge being dismantled has been replaced by a new bridge nearby.
