Two people died tragically yesterday afternoon when a construction crane fell into traffic along Interstate 10 just west of Beaumont, Texas.
Boom of Crane Fell onto Toyota Pickup, Killing Friendsville Men
State troopers were called to the scene of the April 22nd accident near Smith Road around 4:30 p.m. While initial reports indicated a crane fell from a commercial truck, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed the crane’s boom had fallen from a construction site just as a 2013 Toyota pickup truck was heading west on I-10.
“Construction crews in the area were working and operating a heavy crane,” DPS Sgt. Stephanie Davis said in a statement released to the media. “It appears that the crane experienced some type of malfunction and struck the Toyota pickup.”
The 37-year-old man driving the pickup truck was killed, as was his 42-year-old male passenger. Both have been identified as residents of Friendsville.
Johnson Brothers Corp. Identified as I-10 Contractor
It’s not yet known what caused the crane to collapse.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the equipment was being operated by Johnson Brothers Corporation, which was working on the I-10 widening project in Jefferson County. Johnson Brothers is a subsidiary of Dallas-based Southland Holdings, a large company that works on road and infrastructure projects across the United States.
The I-10 widening project in Jefferson County began in February 2019. Johnson Brothers Corporation is widening the interstate from two to three lanes in each direction between FM 365 and Walden Road. The work near Smith Road also includes the construction of an overpass.
Work along that section of I-10 will be halted for the next several days to facilitate the accident investigation. The probe will be led by the DPS, with assistance from the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration and TxDOT.
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