Subway Construction Worker Seriously Hurt

A subway construction worker suffered severe injuries Tuesday morning when he was pinned beneath a 15-foot-high section of steel reinforcement bars that collapsed, crushing his chest, stomach and back.

The 28-year-old man, who was not immediately identified, was airlifted to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills after the 8:40 a.m. accident at the Red Line station in Universal City.

The victim was conscious and alert after co-workers dislodged hundreds of pounds of steel bars and hoisted him to safety using a construction crane. He was reported in good condition late Tuesday with a broken rib and a spinal injury.

“It seems almost miraculous that he was not impaled by the steel rods,” said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. “He was very fortunate.”

The cause of the accident is under investigation by officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is building the subway, and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.