4 Killed After Crane Crashes in Seattle's Google Campus
A crane collapsed, crushed six cars and killed four people at Seattle’s Google campus construction site Saturday afternoon.
The King County, Washington, Medical Examiner’s Office is not expected to release names of those who until Monday, The Associated Press reported Saturday. Among those pronounced dead were two people in separate cars and two iron workers.
Four were also injured. One person was treated at the scene while three others were taken to a medical center for injuries that were not life-threatening. A mother and her 4-month-old baby were discharged Saturday, according to the AP.
Esther Nelson, a biotech research assistant, saw the crane fall and said it likely dropped about eight to nine stories, The Seattle Times reported.
“Half of it was flying down sideways on the building,” Nelson said, according to the newspaper.
“The other half fell down on the street, crossing both lanes of traffic.”
At least 4 people dead as crane building new Google office in Seattle topples over into traffic.
Seattle leads the nation in cranes but this is the region’s first deadly crane accident since a Bellevue crane topped 13 years agohttps://t.co/C0vTHxXrKS
— Mike Rosenberg (@ByRosenberg) April 27, 2019
Corina Berriel, 27, told the Times she thought she was going to die as the cran hit a vehicle behind her while she was driving.
“The first thing I felt was a jolt from behind,” Berriel told the newspaper. “It almost felt like an earthquake.”
It is unclear what caused the collapse. The incident occurred as there were showers and wind speed increased to 23 mph, the AP reported.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in South Lake Union,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee tweeted Saturday.
“My heart goes out to the family and friends of the four people who died in this terrible accident. Please stay clear of the scene and allow medical personnel and investigators to do their work.”
We are closely monitoring the situation in South Lake Union. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the four people who died in this terrible accident. Please stay clear of the scene and allow medical personnel and investigators to do their work. https://t.co/4Vzx3vPrY0
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 28, 2019
The state Department of Labor and Industries and police are investigating the collapse, which could take months, according to the AP.
Vulcan, the real estate firm in charge of the construction site, issued a statement Saturday expressing sympathy for the losses.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families who have lost loved ones and our hope is that those who have been injured return to full health as soon as possible,” the statement said.
The Google campus’s construction began in 2017 and is estimated to finish this year, the Times reported.
Seattle currently has more operating construction cranes than any other American city, with 60 cranes since January. Cranes have been abundant as tech companies increase their employment in the city, according to the AP.
Google and Vulcan did not immediately respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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