Part of the extension arm from a hi-rise construction crane lies crashed against a cement truck, Thursday July 27, 2023, in New York. The crane caught fire yesterday, losing the long arm which smashed into a nearby building as it plummeted to the street. that rained thousands of pounds of steel debris onto a busy Manhattan thoroughfare Wednesday, the owner and operator of the failed crane are facing scrutiny over past safety failures.
Two of the city's most disastrous crane collapses came over the span of two months in 2008, both involving cranes owned by New York Crane and Equipment Corp. Nine people died, pushing the city to overhaul its process of inspecting and regulating tower cranes. “It raises concern that a company that has a history of injuries and fatalities on site is continuing to do business in the city of New York,” she said. “Why do they still have a license?”
“Crane collapses are not that frequent, so if multiple high-profile accidents happen with the same company, it doesn’t reflect well on them,” Smith added. “You have to wonder if we’re not keeping out more competent operators and firms.” Lomma was acquitted of manslaughter charges, but he was sued by the workers' families and ordered by an appeals court to pay $35 million for a series of “wonton and egregious” decisions that led to the collapse. He filed for bankruptcy soon after, and he died in 2019. The company is currently managed by Sal Isola, who did not return a request for comment.