Construction worker dies in fall from Los Angeles skyscraper

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Construction worker dies in fall from Los Angeles skyscraper

Robert Jablon, Associated Press

Updated 6:32 pm, Thursday, March 17, 2016





LOS ANGELES (AP) — An electrician in his second day on the project plunged some 800 feet to his death Thursday from a Los Angeles skyscraper that will be the tallest on the West Coast once it's completed, officials said.

The worker fell around noon from Wilshire Grand Center onto the back edge of a passing car. It happened at one of the busiest times of day at one of the busiest intersections in downtown Los Angeles, when the streets were thronged with people.

The electrician hit the trunk of the car, which was sitting at the corner Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street with the blanket-covered body and a coroner's tent hours later. The car did not appear to be badly damaged.

The woman who was driving did not appear to be seriously hurt but was taken to a hospital, city fire officials said.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Construction-worker-dies-in-fall-from-Los-Angeles-6905223.php

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What a horrible shame. This should NEVER happen.

[juxtaposed]

1. 800' on the first day, We have rules and our rules say no one is allowed within 8' on an edge.. if

one is elevated like on a ladder or scaffold one must be tied off...

[jberryhill]

8. This worker was not supposed to be above the third floor

The electrician was doing work on the third floor. He left his work area, removed his hardhat, proceeded to the top, and then is reported to have fallen.

[SCVDem]

2. IBEW here.

Safety regs MANDATE fall protection among other personal protection devices.

Don'the tell me this is a non union project!

His supervisor needs to be brought up on charges.

[jberryhill]

9. How do the safety regs prevent suicide?

The guy left his work area on the third floor, removed his hard hat, and proceeded to the top. There was no electrical work going on from the area from which he fell.

What would you charge the supervisor for, exactly?

[SCVDem]

12. The original story lacked details.

I saw a new guy and a fall in the text. Not a suicide.

I stand corrected.

[jberryhill]

16. Ah, and I had only read the later stories

Hence my puzzlement with reactions to the earlier version.

[virgista]

3. Did "green tagged" scaffold fail?

LIU here.

[TeamPooka]

4. RIP

[phylny]

5. I'm so thankful for unions, union workers,

and union rules.

What a shame for this poor man and his loved ones.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. No hard hat, wasnt supposed to be above third floor

An electrician who plunged to his death Thursday while working on a Los Angeles skyscraper was not supposed to be above the third floor and had removed his hardhat before falling 53 floors, construction company officials said.

[NutmegYankee]

7. No screams either.

I'm wondering if this was a suicide.

[jberryhill]

10. Or we went up to look around on a lark

But it seems this person was somewhere they were not supposed to be.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. Construction worker dies after falling 53 stories from downtown L.A. high-rise

Construction worker dies after falling 53 stories from downtown L.A. high-rise

[christx30]

13. The part of the OP that irritated me:

"The car did not appear to be badly damaged."

Oh, thank goodness the car wasn't badly damaged. a human being lost their life, but the driver of the car won't have to make an insurance claim. I'm so thankful. It's just a small dent. That'll buff right out.

Are there actually people out there that are going to read the details about a guy plunging 800 feet to his death and ask "is the car ok?" Should a reporter sait this person's curiosity?
I'm glad no one else was hurt though.

[Bucky]

15. just covering the facts and giving context to the circumstances of the landing

I didn't read any belittling of the family's loss in the inclusion of this detail

[jberryhill]

17. That may have been in reaction to hospitalization of the driver

Whether my car was damaged or not, if someone died by falling 53 stories onto the back of my car, I would likely need professional attention of some kind.

So it may have been to suggest the driver was not physically injured, but is rightly freaked out to the extent of severe psychological impact.

[hamsterjill]

14. The poor man, and the poor woman who was driving the car.

Goodness, lots of sadness to go around on this one. I feel badly for the man who died. My sympathies to his friends and family.

I also feel badly for the women who was in the car. How awful to have to go through something like this. I'm sure she will have residual effects, and I hope she gets the care that she will need to recover. It's bound to have been frightening for her, as well.