5 Hurt in Accident at Shrine Auditorium

Five people were injured, one seriously, when scaffolding set up for Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony collapsed at the Shrine Auditorium on Thursday.

Cal/OSHA said it will investigate the cause of the 2:30 p.m. accident and whether any workplace violations occurred. Academy officials said they expect preparations to resume this morning and that the ceremony will go on as scheduled.

“We expect to get back on schedule, but it depends on the investigation,” said John Pavlik, communications director for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars. “Nothing like this has happened at the Academy Awards. . . . This won’t delay the ceremony at all.”

The most seriously injured worker suffered back and neck pains, head wounds and possible internal injuries, officials said. A 50-year-old man was listed in critical condition at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

A 24-year-old worker was alert and walking but complaining of soreness to his back and other pain, said Adalaida De La Cerda, a County-USC spokeswoman.

“He described holding to the scaffolding in a kind of death grip because he knew that if he let go, he would be severely injured,” she said.

The other workers, at least one of whom had been standing on nearby bleachers, suffered minor injuries, said Capt. Richard Andrade of the Los Angeles City Fire Department. They were treated and released from California Hospital Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital. Fire officials would not identify the workers, who were hired through a local trade union.

Reporter Lara Spencer was 20 feet from the scaffolding working on a piece for “Good Morning America” and WABC-TV when the accident happened.

“I heard a crack, crack, then workers screaming ‘Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!’ ” she said. “It’s almost like it fell in slow motion.”

The auditorium is at 665 W. Jefferson Blvd., next to 32nd Street Elementary/USC Magnet School. Jefferson was closed for several hours afterward, forcing traffic to be rerouted and parents to pick up their children on the other side of the school on 32nd Street.

Several teachers and students were on the playground when the structure fell near the school’s fence.

“They were flying, and it looked like they were gripping a pole as they went down,” said Maria Cisneros, a yard supervisor at the school. Other workers fled to the street, she said.

“The kids weren’t scared; you know how kids are. They were curious. We had to stop them from running over there.” Pavlik said that on Sunday about 200 to 300 people will be in the area where the scaffolding buckled.

“It’s fortunate this happened during the time of construction and not during the awards,” Andrade said.

On Thursday, the sidewalk was already a campground for those trying to get good seats to see the stars. Their concern over the accident failed to dull their enthusiasm.

“They’ve got three days to fix it. It may be a little unsafe, but I’m still looking forward to seeing the stars,” said Amy Rumbel, 27, who is visiting with her friend Michele Nagy, 29, from State College, Pa.

The scaffolding was to hold spotlights and a large sunscreen.

“Things were going smoothly and it looked like it was going to be flawless this year,” Pavlik said. “Now it’s not.”

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Times staff writer Robert W. Welkos contributed to this story.

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Construction Mishap

Scaffolding erected along the red carpet for the upcoming Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium collapsed Thursday, injuring five construction workers.

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Graphics reporting by BRADY MacDONALD / Los Angeles Times