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Collapsing Freeway Wall Kills 1, Hurts 1

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A quake-damaged freeway sound wall being razed by a construction crew collapsed Tuesday night, killing one worker and injuring at least one other, authorities said.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said the incident occurred at 7:28 p.m. along the Branford Street on-ramp to the southbound Golden State Freeway.

Officials said a private construction crew had been dismantling the wall, unbolting the 12-foot-high concrete panels from their foundations for removal by a crane. Humphrey said it appeared that the wall had been completely unbolted but not yet attached to the crane when it toppled, crushing one worker--a man about 25 years old--and injuring a second man.

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The fatally injured worker was declared dead at the scene, and the injured worker was taken to Pacifica Hospital of the Valley in Sun Valley, where he was listed in good condition with minor back and leg injuries.

Names of the victims were being withheld pending notification of families.

Humphrey said investigators from the Fire Department, the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the scene, but added that a final determination will be made by Cal/OSHA officers.

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