Welder Dies at ‘Spider-Man’ Movie Set

A welder at the movie set of the upcoming comic book thriller “Spider-Man” was killed Tuesday morning in Downey when the arm of a crane toppled over, striking the worker in the head, authorities said.

The man, who was in his 40s, had not been identified, Downey Assistant Fire Marshal Robert Rowe said.

Investigators said the man and another welder were in a basket about 20 feet off the ground when the accident occurred about 9 a.m. They were building the movie set at the old Rockwell International aerospace plant in the 9100 block of East Imperial Highway.

The other worker in the basket with him was uninjured but was “quite shaken,” Rowe said.

Authorities said the workers were building a set to resemble a Times Square building. Filming had not begun in Downey.

The crane was placing framing on the 50-feet-high building set when it toppled over. Rowe said an investigation would take place.

The incident occurred in the sprawling parking lot at the aerospace complex where the Apollo spacecrafts were built in the 1960s. During the heyday of the U.S. manned-space program, the Rockwell complex was a frequent backdrop in news accounts.

Five years ago, Boeing Co. bought most of Rockwell’s space and defense operations, including the Downey facility, for $3.2 billion. Today, much of the plant is idle.

Sony Pictures released a statement offering condolences to the dead man’s family and said studio officials and those involved in the making of the film were “cooperating fully with authorities investigating the accident.”

Filming began several weeks ago at the studio’s lot in Culver City and was not expected to start in Downey for several more weeks.

The film, starring Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco, is scheduled to be released in May 2002.