New York Crane Collapse

On Saturday, March 15, 2008, it was reported that a construction crane fell on a Manhattan building located on 50th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue. Seven people were killed and another 24 were injured in the accident. Six of those killed were construction workers attempting to raise the crane and the seventh was a Florida tourist. The collapse completely destroyed the four-story townhouse and damaged several neighboring buildings and cars.FOX News: New York Contractor Indicted on Homicide Charges (January 5, 2009)
Fast Facts:
1. 7 dead, 24 injured
2. Location: 50th Street East, between 1st and 2nd Avenue
3. Time: 2:20pm EST
4. Crane was 19 stories tallFOX News: New York Contractor Indicted on Homicide Charges (January 5, 2009)
5. Crane split into 4 pieces while falling
6. One crane piece fell onto the townhouse and demolished several rooms and walls
7. City inspector Edward Marquette was arrested for falsely filing paperwork stating that he inspected the crane on March 4 when he had not
8. Contracting company Rapetti Rigging Services was later fined $300,000 for safety violations in connection with the collapseFOX News: New York Contractor Indicted on Homicide Charges (January 5, 2009)
Murder Charges

On January 5, 2009, Rapetti Rigging Services , the contracting company responsible for raising the crane and its owner, William Rapetti, were indicted on murder charges. Details of the charges were not immediately provided, although prosecutors scheduled a news conference for the afternoon of January 5. Rapetti's attorney, Arthur Aidala, reported that his client had surrendered to authorities and maintained his innocence.FOX News: New York Contractor Indicted on Homicide Charges (January 5, 2009)