Swaying 45-Foot Crane Prompts Evacuation
Four homes and six businesses were evacuated and a stretch of Sepulveda Boulevard was closed Wednesday after a 45-foot crane threatened to topple, authorities said.
The crane, which was used to stabilize a drill during a water project, began to sag and sway because the ground beneath it became unstable.
Fire officials and emergency personnel evacuated the area, including a popular lunch spot, Snax Burgers, and closed a busy stretch of Sepulveda Boulevard between Anza Avenue and Palos Verdes Drive shortly after noon.
Construction crews brought in another crane to stabilize the first one, said Lt. Dennis Addington. The second crane lifted the first, but did not have enough power to pull it off the unstable ground, said Police Lt. Dennis Addington.
Workers then planned to try placing “I” beams under the first crane and driving it over them and away. But the beams, coming from Bakersfield, were stuck in rush-hour traffic Wednesday evening, police said.
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