Crane Falls at Michigan Construction Site

February 13, 2012

A 250-foot-tall crane collapsed Friday morning onto a building at a construction site at the Kent County jail complex in Grand Rapids,Mich., injuring three people, authorities said.

The jail was placed on lockdown following the incident. Kent County Undersheriff Jon Hess described the injuries to a construction worker and two Kent County jail trustees as minor, The Grand Rapids Press reported.

Both the department construction company officials said all inmates and workers were accounted for.

Construction company Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. said Friday in a statement it was investigating the cause of the accident and had no further information. Hess said it appears that a cable snapped as the crane was carrying cement.

Images from the scene showed part of the crane leaning against a building. A garage area where sheriff’s vehicles are kept was damaged.

The main jail that houses inmates apparently wasn’t damaged, and Hess said authorities were checking the structural integrity of that building.

The crane that fell has been used for seven months on a $27 million renovation project, Hess said.