UPDATE: 1 worker dies after truck driver hits lift by West Seattle Bridge, sending 2 falling

9:35 AM: Continuing the coverage we began just after 8 am in our morning traffic watch:

rampfire

Two workers were rushed to Harborview Medical Center after a truck driver hit the lift they were in, working by the west end of the West Seattle Bridge.

ramplong

One worker, described as a 40-year-old man, has life-threatening injuries, and that’s why the Seattle Police Traffic Collision Investigation Squad was called out.

ramptci

This happened alongside the bridge, on the exit from surface Spokane Street headed up to Admiral Way, and that area is blocked off right now. This is where the Fauntleroy Expressway seismic-cushion work has been under way but we haven’t yet verified with SDOT that the crew was associated with that project. We will update this report with any further information about the investigation, the victims, and the road closure, which we’re hearing may expand to block off more of the Spokane/Manning/Admiral intersection.

10:08 AM: The turn from Avalon to cut under the bridge toward Admiral is also blocked off.

ramptruck

11:14 AM: We are just back from the briefing at Harborview, but as commenters point out, SPD Blotter was updated in the meantime. They confirmed to us at Harborview (where SFD had a fireworks-safety briefing pre-scheduled, and we then found out SPD and SDOT would be answering questions about this incident, so we headed there) that the crew was working on the Fauntleroy Expressway project, and that the truck we had photographed on Admiral Way (above) was the one involved. SDOT spokesperson Rick Sheridan told us at the briefing that it’s too soon to say if this will delay the completion of the bridge work, which has been under way since May. More to come, including video of the briefing.

12:10 PM: Harborview spokesperson Susan Gregg confirms what a commenter had reported earlier – that the man who fell the furthest has died.

1:18 PM: We’re just back from checking on what’s still closed off. TCIS was clearing the Avalon/Harbor intersection while we were there, but the scene itself, westbound lower Spokane to Admiral, was still closed. We’ll check back at midafternoon.

2:52 PM: Per both scanner and Twitter, the scene has fully cleared.

41 Replies to "UPDATE: 1 worker dies after truck driver hits lift by West Seattle Bridge, sending 2 falling"

  • Jort July 1, 2016 (10:18 am)

    Is there any information about whether the person who hit the workers was part of the construction crew, or was the driver completely unassociated with the bridge work?    

  • Steve July 1, 2016 (10:22 am)

    Very sad for those impacted…hope they are okay.  Safety first!!  Wondering if the truck involved was part of the project or if it was part of normal traffic. 

  • West Seattle since 1979 July 1, 2016 (10:24 am)

    Hope they’ll be ok.

  • Julianne Farmer July 1, 2016 (10:25 am)

    I am praying.

  • Alki Resident July 1, 2016 (10:26 am)

    In so sorry. This breaks my heart. Prayers for the workers and their crew who I imagine are devastated.

  • flimflam July 1, 2016 (10:30 am)

     ugh how awful. hope they will be ok.

  • JC July 1, 2016 (10:33 am)

    Hope they are going to be ok.  Did the truck driver stop?  I don’t see it in these pictures.

    • WSB July 1, 2016 (10:42 am)

      Regarding the truck: We believe a commercial box truck that was stopped a short distance up Admiral, with police by it, was involved, but we are trying to confirm that (and won’t add its photo till we know for sure). SPD is supposed to brief media during a prescheduled and otherwise unrelated event at Harborview and we heard about it in time to get copublisher Patrick Sand there – it is under way now.

      • sam-c July 1, 2016 (10:43 am)

        SPD blotter has updated with more info

  • West Seattle Gamer July 1, 2016 (10:47 am)

    I’m a lift operator and this is my nightmare. I hope the injured pull through. This brings up many questions that I’m sure the investigators are covering.

  • Jen July 1, 2016 (10:51 am)

    The man with life-threatening injuries has died. He was a friend. 

    • Curate July 1, 2016 (11:36 am)

      So terribly sorry for your trauma and loss. We are praying for you and yours.

  • AMD July 1, 2016 (10:58 am)

    http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2016/07/01/box-truck-strikes-jlg-lift-throwing-two-workers-from-the-basket/

    Blotter confirms it was the box truck and that the workers were part of the pad replacement project.  

    • WSB July 1, 2016 (11:13 am)

      Yes, we just got back from the briefing and will have it on video and added to the story. Didn’t know they were posting to SPDB so soon or we might not have gone to Harborview, but oh well.

      Jen: I am so sorry to hear that. That update was not provided during the briefing. (I am trying to confirm directly with Harborview.) – TR

  • Paul Binder July 1, 2016 (11:37 am)

    The Seattle Times has listed it as a death.

  • lovedones July 1, 2016 (11:54 am)

    OMG this is so terrible…if true to the one person who passed my condolences to his family and co-workers.

    Always treat each day as if it is your last and love you loved ones to the fullest…life is too short. 

  • WestSeaDad July 1, 2016 (11:55 am)

    OMG I am so sorry for this man, his family and all involved in this incident. Life can change in an instant. I worked with a lift like this once during a summer off from college. The operator made sure I was tethered in and once we got up high I understood why. They don’t feel stable at all. 

    And as far as this holding up the project…who cares. Take all the time necessary for grieving, investigating and assuring this doesn’t happen again.  

    • WSB July 1, 2016 (12:08 pm)

      Harborview has just confirmed that the man who fell the furthest has died. Updating the story. The other man is expected to survive. – TR

  • Bonnie July 1, 2016 (12:18 pm)

    Oh no.  That’s a terrible update.  So sad for his family.

  • Chuck July 1, 2016 (12:37 pm)

    I’m very sorry for this man and his family and friends. Prayers for all. 

  • JanS July 1, 2016 (1:11 pm)

    :`(

  • Salal July 1, 2016 (1:14 pm)

    So sorry for the family and friends

  • clark5080 July 1, 2016 (1:14 pm)

    And why wasn’t the off ramp closed off while they were working? I smell a bit lawsuit here.

    • AMD July 1, 2016 (1:49 pm)

      If I understood the blotter correctly, the off ramp isn’t where the collision occurred. 

      • WSB July 1, 2016 (1:59 pm)

        It’s still really confusing. But the SPDB language about “where the lift was parked” seems to explain why the initial medic call was to Nucor. I couldn’t figure out how something on the north (westbound) side would have sent a victim onto Nucor’s grounds … until realizing after seeing part of the scene, that it’s along the bridged area that goes over what is indeed part of Nucor’s grounds, stretching under the Avalon/Harbor/etc. intersection. So the report suggests the lift stretched up to the underside of the bridge, from that far down below. Exactly how the truck made contact, not clear … given that it was stopped a little ways up Admiral. Since the start back in May, some of the work has been happening during the day, the part that does not involve jacking up the bridge deck, which is the reason why the closures have happened at night. The SDOT spokesperson for the project had told us just yesterday afternoon, as reported in our early Thursday evening update, that they were almost done with the cushion replacement, but had a couple of tasks remaining, including some “surveying” and also some application of epoxy. I don’t know if this crew was working on one of those, or something else. – TR

  • Carole July 1, 2016 (2:01 pm)

    Re ramp closure:  every time I have driven that stretch of road in the last few weeks the left lane has been clearly blocked off by orange cones, with just the right lane available to bypass the work crew under the bridge.

  • redblack July 1, 2016 (2:30 pm)

    from the pictures above, it looks like the man basket is broken or bent – as if the impact caused the basket to crash into the bridge. that may have compromised the workers’ tie-off point or severed his lanyard.

    whatever the cause, the effect was devastating, and my deepest conolences go to his loved ones.

  • sc July 1, 2016 (2:48 pm)

    May Heaven’s choicest blessings fall 

    Upon that hero’s head,

    Who bravely toils throughout each day 

    To earn his loved ones bread …

    So now of Fortune’s favored ones, 

    Henceforth let less be said,

    And more be spoken of the man 

    Who toils for daily bread.

    God bless each hardy son of toil 

    That labors in the land.

    Let us give three cheers with right good will 

    For the honest working man.

    Marie Joussaye  (1864 – 1949)

  • ScubaFrog July 1, 2016 (2:55 pm)

    What a tragedy.  My thoughts and prayers go to the deceased and his loved ones.  Also to the other victim, and to the truck occupants. 

    I hope the 2nd victim makes a fast, complete recovery.

  • West Seattle since 1979 July 1, 2016 (4:41 pm)

    So sad. My condolences to his family and friends.

  • Steve July 1, 2016 (7:46 pm)

    The truck involved has an ‘Ostrom Farms’ logo on it…the mushroom company based in Olympia.  Has anyone contacted them for a comment?

    • sam-c July 1, 2016 (9:07 pm)

      The seattle times article about the incident had some comments from that company, but not a lot of info.

  • Amy May July 1, 2016 (8:07 pm)

    I am so sorry to read this. I had sent SDOT an email this week over a safety concern I observed related to this project. It was not related to the JLG lift, but I was disappointed in the response from SDOT who despite having all the details of the issue said it was “impossible” for them to follow up on it.  I’m very sorry to hear this man lost his life. 

  • dsa July 2, 2016 (12:20 am)

    This is terrible.  Even though I understand what happened, I do not understand how it happened.  It must have been quite an impact to bump both men out of the cage.

  • OP July 2, 2016 (8:59 am)

    Very, very sad, and completely avoidable. Curious: Aren’t workers in lifts/cherry pickers required to wear safety harnesses?

    • AMD July 2, 2016 (9:11 am)

      There seems to be a fair bit of speculating on the safety harness situation in reports from other media outlets.  The investigation will sort out who was wearing what and if the impact affected the rigging of any safety equipment.

    • WSB July 2, 2016 (9:27 am)

      (a) We don’t know whether these workers were or were not wearing any sort of harnesses/tethering. (b) As far as I have been able to find out via research, guardrails are considered fall protection for some kinds of lifts – but then there’s this, which says they’re required in our state for a “boom-elevated platform.” Note, neither of those links is official – takes more time to scour through official government rules and regulations, but we’ll be looking.

      Meantime, a reader who is a certified lift-operator instructor just answered our question about this and says that “those lifts are considered mobile scaffolding. They have 42″ high handrailing around the basket. The workers wear a body harness with a lanyard that attaches them to the lift so they can’t fall to the ground. You fall approx 15′ before the lanyard stops you.” But, the reader goes on, the photo shows damage to the basket, so they wonder if the impact actually caused some of the injuries, and also: “If basket is damaged, you can lose the lanyard attachment point and fall to the ground.” – TR

      • Jw July 3, 2016 (8:28 am)

        In this type of lift fall protection is 100% required, at all times, by OSHA, WSHA, and the manufacturer. The lanyards (the “rope” that attaches a harness to a tie-off point) come in many lengths/configurations. Some will extend to 15′ in a fall, others will not. You can get them as short as 3′ and 4′, but what configuration of lanyard used in each scenario isn’t regulated.  You must however be tied off 100% of the time. All lanyards are very durable and nearly impossible to cut accidentally. 

        -I hate to say this but… In the picture you can see a lanyard attached to a hand rail next to the control panel…this is NOT an approved tie off point by the manufacturer, but may still have prevented a fall. Hooks appear still attached on both ends of the lanyard… 

        -You’ll also note that the door to the basket is missing. These are purpose built and welded on. IMO, It is doubtful that this impact could have knocked it off. If it was absent prior to use, it would have been illegal to use this man lift having a compromised life/safety system. The contractor should have a daily inspection report for the lift….

        -ill go out on a limb and guess that there may be criminal charges filed….I am not trying to suggest malice, but there may be negligence. 

        -This is a VERY unfortunate situation. 

  • they July 2, 2016 (10:20 am)

    So sad, as far as the safety harness requirements go if your in a telescoping type lift like this JLG a body harness is require due to the springiness of the platform in addition to the railing. The scissor types lifts do not require by law a harness but it would be highly recommended.

       

  • Mike July 2, 2016 (11:54 am)

    This is a sad incident that should have been and could have been prevented.  I know the times I drove by, there was very little supervision of traffic control and even when SPD was present, I saw people pull illegal maneuvers right in front of SPD officers and the officer just looked and didn’t care.  Harness or not, it could have been prevented with proper traffic control in place.  Drivers need to slow down and be more aware of their surroundings, it’s first and foremost the drivers that need to be aware, but with the risk of working next to traffic there needs to be trained individuals ensuring the safety of workers with traffic control and not just standing around collecting a paycheck while somebody is above them in a basket working. 

  • Mar-C July 3, 2016 (9:55 pm)

    I remember driving that path under the bridge earlier in the week. The worker who was holding the “Slow” sign was on her phone not paying attention, and I remember wondering why she wasn’t taking her job more seriously. Usually, the sign holders are paying attention to the traffic and if someone looks like they are going too fast, they make arm motions to further encourage them to slow down! I can’t say if this was a contributing factor at the time of the crash. Maybe whoever was there on that shift did actually try to grab the driver’s attention to encourage them to be aware and slow down. But I did observe this lax behavior at that same location this week. 

Sorry, comment time is over.