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2 killed in Boynton Beach crane accident

Police identify victims
2 killed in Boynton Beach crane collaspe, March 22, 2022
Posted at 11:50 AM, Mar 22, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-23 10:00:40-04

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Two people died after a crane accident Tuesday morning at a construction site in Boynton Beach, fire rescue officials said.

The incident occurred just before 10:30 a.m. at the Riverwalk Plaza located at the corner of East Woolbright Road and Federal Highway.

Boynton Beach police and first responders rushed to the scene.

Assistant Fire Chief Jarvis Prince said the people who died were construction workers.

They were later identified as Jeremias Mendez, 32, and Eduardo Cruz-Moran, 25, both of West Palm Beach.

The construction site is slated to be waterfront luxury apartments.

Investigators are still trying to piece everything together to learn what led up to the deadly incident.

Boynton Beach Fire Rescue said they sent a camera into the rubble to make sure no one was trapped while authorities talked to witnesses, including the crane operator.

Deadly crane collapse, Boynton Beach, March 22, 2022
Two people were killed after a crane collapsed in Boynton Beach on March 22, 2022.

"We're going to continue investigating the scene and digging deeper into it, seeing if we can figure out what happened then we'll go from there," Prince said.

The police crime scene unit and the medical examiner's office remained at the scene for much of the day.

"Our prayers are with the family of those involved," said Stacy Thames, a spokeswoman for Allegiance Crane & Equipment.

Officials identify victims in Boynton Beach crane collapse

Shoppers who frequently visit the Riverwalk Plaza were stunned by the deaths.

"It's horrible, and maybe there's some safety issues and some safety concerns that might need to be addressed," said resident Tammy Dalgliesh.

Officials said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said they have initiated an inspection into the incident.