The job of a construction worker is always full of unpredictable, life-threatening challenges. Many construction workers in New York meet the inevitable prematurely, because of the life-threatening situations they deal with while working on construction sites. The death of a New York-based construction worker in Manhattan is an example that has come to light on Saturday.
The Cause of Accident:
This horrible construction-site accident happened just after 3:00 a.m. near the Holland Tunnel. A piece from a 7-ton crane fell on, and resulted in the immediate death of, Gregory Echavarria, 34. He hailed from Bushwick, Brooklyn.
A counterweight came crashing down on his body while he was trying to help assemble the 7-ton crane in wet conditions. Keith, Gregory’s brother, was also working at the same construction site at the time of the accident. However, he did not witness the accident.
Anyone injured?
Two more people suffered minor injuries in this accident. Both of them were taken immediately to Lennox Hill, a nearby hospital, for medical help and observation.
Construction site accidents in New York are increasing:
Gregory’s case is just the latest example. He has become the third casualty in such accidents in less than a week’s time in New York. Meaning, two more construction workers have lost their lives in accidents this week.
The two were Nelson Salinas, 51, and Erik Mendoza, 23. Nelson was working on external repairs for a building in Manhattan, whereas Erik met his death due to a fall from a 13-story building in Brooklyn.
Some information about Gregory Echavarria:
Gregory was a former U.S military soldier. He served the U.S. military, doing three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He has left behind a three-month-old infant named Garrison, and three more kids from his ex-wife.
What else?
Multiple complaints had been lodged to The Department of Buildings on April 2nd. According to these complaints, the building involved in the accident did not meet the required safety standards. Taking these complaints into account, The Department of Buildings took action and put a PSWO (Partial Stop Work Order) on the property
This order was lifted last Monday after the issues mentioned in the complaints were addressed.
Once again, Gregory is now the third construction worker to be killed while working on a construction site in New York.
It is a developing story and you should keep coming back to our website to receive future updates about it.