- New York City 02/05/2016 by Linda Perry (WBAI News)

One person was killed in a parked car when a crawler crane collapsed in lower Manhattan at around 8:30 this morning, Upper West Side resident David Wichs. Council Member Helen Rosenthal says she is committed to honoring Wich's death by making construction sites more safe for passersby. Two others, who were hit with debris, are in serious condition, another has minor injuries.

The accident occurred on 60 Hudson Street. The crane boom landed across parked cars and damaged several buildings. Con Ed has turned off gas in most of the surrounding buildings.

The crane was being lowered as a precaution because of high winds of 20 mph when the accident occurred. The crane crew was directing people away from Worth Street as the crane was being lowered. That’s why more people weren't injured.

Worth between Hudson and Church will be cut off for several days. There will be disruptions between Canal on the North, Chambers on the south, Hudson on the west and Broadway on the east for the next few days. 

The 565 foot crawler crane has a capacity of 330 tons. Bay Crane in Long Island City owns the crane. It's operated by Galasso Rigging. The Mayor says a full investigation is underway. 

There are 376 crawler cranes in the city. De Blasio has ordered that they all be secured immediately. The 43 tower cranes in the City have also been ordered to go into a secure position.