MILWAUKEE – A grainy but dramatic piece of security camera video shows the moment a construction crane crashed to the ground last spring, crushing several cars and nearly killing two people.
That video was used as evidence in the police investigation of the May 9 incident and was obtained by the I-TEAM under Wisconsin open records law.
The I-TEAM also uncovered documents from the federal investigation of Tollefsen Steel, the company operating the crane when it fell to the ground.
Investigators from OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, cited Tollefson Steel for nine serious violations. Among those, were failures to make regular inspections, failure to ensure the crane crew was qualified and failing to calculate the weight of the load prior to lifting it up.
In a phone call, Chris Tollefsen declined to discuss the accident, but expressed gratitude no one was seriously hurt. Tollefsen said the OSHA probe prompted his company to draft new safety guidelines.
Steve Chamraz
When he joined TODAY’S TMJ4 in 2011, Steve Chamraz returned to the place where his career began. These days, Steve anchors “Live at 3:00†and “Live at 4:00†and contributes to the TODAY’S TMJ4 I-Team.
