4 Workers Hurt When Part of Crane Collapses

One worker was hospitalized Thursday and three others were treated for minor injuries after a 100-foot section of a crane collapsed at a shopping center construction site in Oak Park.

John Bermudez, 28, and Carlos Echeverria, 26, both of Pomona, and Charles Murphy, 36, of Crescent Lake, were treated at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks and released.

Daniel Alvarez, 19, of Chino, underwent surgery to repair a fractured wrist and elbow Thursday morning and was kept overnight for observation, said hospital spokeswoman Kris Carraway-Bowman.

All the men fell about 20 feet when the crane tipped at the construction site at 752 Lindero Canyon Road about 8:20 a.m.

The 14 1/2-ton-capacity crane was lowering a 400-pound truss roof support onto the top of a wood-skeleton building when the crane started to sway, authorities said.

Two outrigger support struts stabilizing the crane on the ground apparently could not keep the crane from tipping, and the 100-foot arm carrying the wooden truss slammed into the ground, knocking five workers off the roof. One of the five workers was not injured.

“The crane fortunately never hit any of the workers,” said Joe Luna, spokesman for the Ventura Country Fire Department. “It’s very fortunate their injuries weren’t worse than they were.”

When the crane tipped over, one of its two 100-gallon diesel fuel tanks was punctured and started leaking, Luna said. Fire officials set up plastic buckets to capture the fuel and the site was closed until building inspection officials could deem the site safe and the crane could be turned upright.

Echeverria was treated for cuts to his scalp and bruises to his face and arm. Bermudez was treated for cuts and bruises to his head, face, hands and arms. Both were released about 11 a.m. Murphy was treated and released after complaining of back and rib pains, Carraway-Bowman said.