Worker Pinned, Injured While Working On Central Corridor

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A construction worker was injured Tuesday morning while working on a section of the Central Corridor light-rail project.

The driver of a large fork truck somehow lost control while on a dirt embankment.

"When the first crews got here, they found a man pinned in the cab of this fork truck," said Deputy Chief Todd Steinhilber of the Minneapolis Fire Department.

The heavy machinery flipped on its side. With the door facing the ground, the driver was unable to free himself. It's also believed his leg became pinned between the equipment and the ground.

"We felt very concerned and ... my students were just praying for the man and hoping he was OK," said Janet Curiel, was teaching class in a nearby building and saw some of the rescue effort.

Within 10 minutes the injured worker was pulled to safety. His fellow construction workers helped with the rescue, lifting the front end loader to free him.

"They brought this bigger tractor to help take pressure off the truck and cribbed it up. We pulled him out," said Steinhilber.

Those same workers also headed to Hennepin County Medical Center, where their co-worker is recovering after surgery.

Laura Baenen, communications manager for the Central Corridor project, said the worker has lost his hand and foot, which couldn't be saved after surgery.

Baenen said OSHA will not be investigating this accident. The contractor, Ames Construction, will be responsible for the investigation and report to the Central Corridor Project office.

The CCP will then monitor the investigation and review the records to determine the root cause. They'll then transfer that to the Federal Transit Administration.

The accident happened near the flyover bridge which is being built over Interstate 35W between the Cedar-Riverside and Metrodome stations on the Hiawatha line. The flyover will connect the Central Corridor LRT line to the Hiawatha line.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Susie Jones Reports