Metal Beam Falling 14 Stories Kills Deliveryman
A man who was delivering oxygen canisters in downtown Los Angeles was struck and killed Tuesday by a metal beam that fell from a window washing apparatus, authorities said.
Rigoberto Rodriguez, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene, said Fire Department spokesman Bob Collis.
Rodriquez, who was pushing a dolly that held oxygen canisters, was on 7th Street in the jewelry district between Hill Street and Broadway when he was killed in the 2:30 p.m. accident.
“The 20-foot metal beam came from the scaffolding that the window cleaners stand on,” said LAPD Officer Jason Lee. “It somehow got loose from a rope that was about 14 stories high. It dropped straight down and hit the victim.”
The members of the window washing crew were visibly shaken by the incident. Although they declined to be interviewed, one of the men kept repeating, “It was an accident. It was just a bad accident. There’s nothing more to say.”
Anna Vigil, an employee at a nearby health food store, said she was behind the cash register when she “looked outside and saw something fall from the sky and hit him. Then he was down.”
Los Angeles Police Department officers were investigating.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
