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Construction worker who fell to death with portion of crane identified

Piece of crane falls on Fort Lauderdale bridge, lands on car
Posted at 3:27 PM, Apr 05, 2024
and last updated 2024-04-05 15:57:04-04

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Police have identified the construction worker who fell to his death Thursday when a portion of a crane fell onto a bridge spanning the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale police Detective Ali Adamson said Friday that Jorge De La Torre, 27, was the man who died in Thursday afternoon's construction accident.

A piece of crane debris landed on top of a car on the Southeast Third Avenue bridge.

closeup of piece of crane on top of car on Fort Lauderdale bridge, April 4, 2024
A piece of crane that fell from a nearby construction site crushed this car on the Southeast Third Avenue bridge, April 4, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Golen said construction workers at a nearby building were in the process of "stepping the crane" when a piece of it plummeted to the ground, crushing a car.

"Unfortunately, one of the workers had fallen with the load off the side of the building," Golen said.

One person was taken to a hospital in stable condition, and another was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, Golen said.

Adamson said the bridge was repaired and traffic resumed Friday morning.