NEW YORK (WPIX) — The crane operator, hailed as quick-thinking on the site of Wednesday’s fiery collapse, was once charged in connection to the death of a co-worker over a decade ago.
Department of Buildings records and sources confirm Christopher Van Duyne had administrative and disciplinary penalties imposed in connection to the September 2008 tragedy in Manhattan.
Van Duyne also operated a crane at 600 West 42nd Street, about a block from the latest incident. Anthony Esposito, 48, fell 400 feet to his death, according to reports. According to the DOB, Esposito fell from a platform attached to the tower crane being dismantled.
After serving an eight-month suspension of his license, Van Duyne and his brother paid a $25,000 fine to the DOB and had to undergo re-training.
During Wednesday morning’s crane collapse, fire officials said Van Duyne sprang into action to try and extinguish the flames before evacuating the 46-story platform to safety.
Twelve people were hurt in the boom collapse, including three firefighters. All the injuries were minor, according to officials.
Officials said the crane is owned by the New York Crane & Equipment Corp., one of the city’s most widely used crane providers. The Queens-based company has recently been involved in other crane problems, leading to criminal charges and new safety measures around New York City’s crane operations.
The company did not respond to a request for comment.
In May of 2008, a collapse of the company’s tower crane killed two workers on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The company and its owner, James Lomma, were acquitted of manslaughter and other charges; a mechanic pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide.
It was one of two deadly crane accidents in 2008, leading to the resignation of the city’s Department of Buildings commissioner and new safety measures around testing and oversight of crane operations.
Five years later, a crane owned by the company left a concrete cube dangling above a bustling pedestrian area for several hours, shutting down a major thoroughfare in Midtown, Manhattan.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
