Mechanic Sentenced for Involvement in Deadly New York Crane Accident

A mechanic who was involved in a 2008 fatal crane accident in New York that killed two workers was sentenced to a year of community service. The families of the workers that died opposed the plea agreement that spared the mechanic from serving any jail time and requested that the judge send the mechanic to jail for his contribution to their loved ones deaths. The mechanic and the crane owner were charged with manslaughter due to the crane’s collapse. The complaint alleged they were criminally negligent in conducting a quick, inexpensive and careless repair to a critical piece of a 200 foot tall crane. The crane snapped in half only a month after the “fix.” The mechanic pled guilty to a lower charge of criminally negligent homicide. The details of the plea arrangement were that he would serve no jail time if he testified against the crane owner. At the trial, the mechanic testified that to save time and money on the crane repair, the owner dismissed the known manufacturers suggested by the mechanic and opted to use a small company who admitted they may not be able to handle the job. Despite the testimony against him, the crane owner was acquitted at trial; leaving the mechanic the only one who has taken any responsibility for the deaths of the workers. The crane accident occurred only weeks after another deadly 2008 crane accident in New York City that killed seven people. As a result of the 2008 catastrophes, the city aggressively reformed its rules regarding crane safety procedures. Source: Crain’s New York Business.com, “No jail for mechanic in deadly NYC crane collapse,” August 7, 2012.