Crane tragedy
Worker killed at SoHo construction site
A Brooklyn construction worker died early Saturday after being crushed by part of a crane that fell at a SoHo construction site, officials said.
Hardhat Gregory Echevarria, 34, was helping assemble the crane at the corner of Varick and Broome Sts., at the mouth of the Holland Tunnel, at about 3:15 a.m. when a 7.5 ton counterweight crashed down on him. Echevarria died at the scene, officials said.
“The man was split in half,” one rattled worker told the Daily News.
Another worker was injured and taken to a local hospital, authorities said. Two workers who witnessed the horrific incident were taken to a hospital for observation.
The Department of Buildings (DOB), which is investigating the incident, said it has issued a stop work order on the site and it ordered the crane to be dismantled and removed from the site.
Echevarria’s brother, Keith Echevarria, was working at the site Saturday when his brother was killed. He said he didn’t see it happen.
“I feel bad because I brought him into the company,” he told The News. “I was there, I saw the aftermath. I’m still trying to get through it. It’s sad, so I’m just trying to celebrate (his life) with family and friends,” Keith said.
He said his brother was an Army veteran who served three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
Their sister, Judy Cruz, said Greg had pushed a coworker out of the way of the falling counterweight and was hit by it. Officials could not immediately confirm her account.
“He was such a good brother, son and father,” Cruz said. “He was the best man you could find.” She said Greg had been adopted when he was 21 days old and was one of seven siblings.
He lived with his fiance Sarah and their 5-month-old baby Garrison. “My baby has no father,” was all she could blurt out when asked about Greg. Cruz said, “They were so in love. They were made for each other.”
His family hung a poster with photos of Greg from the fence of their Bushwick home, where relatives and friends wrote messages. “Love you uncle, thank you for loving me the way you did,” one read. Another lamented, “You will be missed dearly. Love you!” By afternoon, more than 20 people had paid their respects.
Johanny Chery, who works at a shop near Greg’s home, told The News, “Everybody loved him and respected him. His death hurt me.”
Greg’s niece, Eva Echevarria, 36, recalled his good nature, “He was a funny guy with a great sense of humor. If you needed to laugh you just had to talk to him. He would always do things with the family.” She said he had three children, ages 10, 12 and 15, from a previous relationship.
Workers at the site were shaken. “It’s a tight knit community, you never want to hear something like this happened,” one said. “You hope to go home to your family.” They stopped working on Saturday “out of respect.”
Officials said the 16wheeler crane was expected to be rolled onto a construction site at 570 Broome St. once assembled. It is adjacent to another construction site on Varick St., where a worker broke his arm and had to be carried down from the 12th floor on April 6, officials said.
A source with knowledge of the case said permits for the crane seemed to be in order.
The crane company, Cranes Express Inc., hung up on a reporter calling for a comment. According to its website, it is family owned and operating since 2005. The website says it is the largest non-union crane company in the city.