Fatal crane collapse could cost the city $30M

A 73-year-old man who was nearly killed when a construction crane crashed onto his car on Worth Street back in February will sue the city for $30 million for his injuries.

Thomas O’Brien’s skull and spine were fractured when strong winds sent a 600-foot-tall crane crashing down onto his Jeep, according to court papers cited by the New York Post.

O’Brien suffered a “traumatic brain injury,” court documents say. He was also traumatized by the wait for rescue workers to free him, he claims.

The city “failed to ensure cranes were being properly used” and “failed to secure cranes despite warnings of extreme weather/high winds,” according to the papers.

The accident killed mathematician David Wichs, and a New Jersey woman, Dawn Kojima, suffered head and leg injuries. [NYP] –Christopher Cameron