FOLLOWUP: Injured Junction workers improving; state investigating

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(WSB photo from Monday)

Three days after two workers were seriously hurt when a portable crane touched power wires at a Junction construction site (WSB coverage here), they’re both improving. That’s what we’ve heard both from a co-worker and from Harborview Medical Center, which says that both men “continue to improve” – one man is out of intensive care and listed in satisfactory condition, while the other remains in intensive care but has been upgraded to serious condition, from critical. We don’t have any information about possible community contribution drives to help them and their families but the co-worker promised to let me know if there was anything to be made public. Both were on the ground near the crane, whose operator was apparently unhurt, when it touched the wires, according to early word from investigators at the scene on Monday.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Labor and Industries tells WSB that they are investigating two companies because of what happened at the 4505 42nd SW mixed-use-building project site. According to L&I spokesperson Tim Church, the companies are Spartan Concrete, a subcontractor that he says is the employer of the two injured workers, and MarPac Construction, the general contractor. Spartan’s record shows a power-line/crane-safety violation at a jobsite in 2012, marked as “corrected.”

L&I has up to six months to finish its investigation.

5 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Injured Junction workers improving; state investigating"

  • sw September 29, 2016 (2:58 pm)

    That’s good news.  Continued well wishes on their recovery.

  • jay September 29, 2016 (5:47 pm)

    i am glad to hear that they are improving after such an awful accident.

    however, i have seen nothing in the seattle times about this accident, nor on the news. is there a reason for this?

    • WSB September 29, 2016 (6:02 pm)

      (a) We are a news organization. So you are seeing this “on the news” right now.

      (b) As for other news organizations, can’t speak for their coverage decisions. We do our own work, as journalists, and don’t confer with anyone else. TV did show up the first day – as mentioned, at least one helicopter.

  • Rick September 29, 2016 (6:56 pm)

    I believe Jay might have been referring to TV news as opposed to print or other forms of written media.

  • erm September 30, 2016 (9:41 am)

    So relieved to hear they are improving.  They have been in my thoughts.  I hope recovery for these two men goes smoothly.

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