Updated on: September 20, 2022 / 11:34 PM / CBS New York
NEW YORK - A boom truck collapsed onto a car in the Bronx on Tuesday morning, nearly crushing the driver.
It happened on Bedford Park Boulevard near the Grand Concourse around 10:40 a.m.
Danielle Cruz says her life flashed before her eyes when part of a construction vehicle known as a boom truck crashed down on her car.
"My back hurts, my neck hurts, my head hurts," she told CBS2's Tim McNicholas.
The Lehman College student had just stopped at a red light on her way to class.
"The firefighters had even told me that if I had driven, like, even like 2 inches forward that I would not be standing here today," Cruz said.
She was treated at the hospital not just for her pain, but small wounds to her hand and upper lip.
"After I was out of the car, I just thought about my parents and my family," she said.
The city's Department of Buildings says that boom truck was lifting a load of metal from a trailer onto the roof of an 11-story residential construction project. The arm of the boom failed and collapsed.
"The glass shattered back on me and, like, the roof came down, and it hit the top of my head," Cruz said.
The Department of Buildings says the general contractor is the All State 12 General Contracting Corporation.
CBS2 has learned that is one of five companies the city sued back in May for their involvement in another project in Queens.
According to the lawsuit, that project caused property damage to a nearby firehouse.
"I hope that that construction company is held accountable," Cruz said.
After Tuesday's collapse, city inspectors say they found three violations on site: failure to safeguard the construction site, failure to have the hoist or construction elevator in a state of readiness, and failure to obtain electrical permits for temporary lighting at the site.
City Hall has ordered contractors to stop all deliveries to the building and stop doing any work 75 feet above the ground or higher. That's at least until they fix what inspectors call "unsafe conditions."
As the city continues to investigate, Cruz is resting up at home.
"I kinda feel like a little bit numb now, just, like, after crying so much, and the pain is settling in," she said.
McNicholas emailed and called the All State 12 General Contracting Corporation on two different numbers to ask for an explanation. Both times, someone answered, McNicholas explained who he was and who he works for, then he heard a click and the call ended.
A boom truck accident in the Bronx Tuesday morning injured a driver after the lifting arm of the equipment, like a crane arm, fell onto her car.
The car and the arm-like structure remained on the scene some six hours later.
The driver somehow suffered only minor injuries. Had she been a few inches forward, it may have been a different outcome.
Security video from stores in the area show the moment what's called an articulating boom truck lifting arm fell onto a car as it was stopped at the light around 10:30 a.m. A man walking by nearly misses getting hit.
Witnesses rushed over to the car, and pulled the female driver out. That 22-year-old suffered only minor injuries.
"An explosion-like noise. Like, a bang. First thing that came to my mind was a D train collision or a bomb," said Ali Algaheim.
Algaheim works in a store at the corner and ran out with others to see what happened.
"I expected to see somebody dead or someone crushed and a few seconds later – he pulls her out," he said.
The man who pulled her out didn't want to speak on camera, but Algaheim described her condition.
"She was a little bit confused herself – surprised that she made it. You know, I'm still shaking," he said.
Equipment that fell being removed pic.twitter.com/LD2HMQKJqa
Construction at 33 Bedford Park Boulevard - an 11-story new residential building - was halted. About 29 workers were evacuated as a precaution.
The Department of Buildings says a preliminary investigation found that as the crane-like device on the boom truck was lifting a load of metal bars from a trailer onto the roof, the arm of the boom failed, and collapsed.
It also took out a traffic light, and spilled metal onto the road.
Many said it appears the arm just snapped. People in the area noted had the car been inched up any further, the driver might not have been able to walk away.
"The way the boom fell across the car just missed her, and she's gonna be fine," an FDNY official said.
The Department of Buildings says they've issued several summonses for safety violations, including failure to safeguard the construction site, failure to have the construction elevator in a state of readiness, and failure to obtain electrical permits for certain equipment on the site.
The DOB issued a partial stop work order, halting deliveries and restricting work above 75 feet, until the conditions are resolved.
The Department of Buildings says its preliminary investigation reveals that the boom truck was lifting a load of rebar when the arm of the boom gave way and fell onto the car.
It happened at the site of an 11-story residential building that's under construction.
A crane collapsed onto a car on Bedford Park Blvd in the Bronx. NYPD says a 22 year old female driver has minor injuries. FDNY evacuated about 29 workers from the site out of precaution. Construction was being done on a building here@CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/7X24lIHV65
CBS2's Alice Gainer obtained surveillance video of the moment the boom truck arm came down. Check it out in the video above.
A boom truck collapsed onto a car in the road in the Bronx.
It happened on Bedford Park Boulevard near the Grand Concourse around 10:40 a.m.
The Fire Department says the boom truck collapsed onto the roadway, crushing a car.
Police say a 22-year-old woman was in the car and has minor injuries. Another pedestrian nearby who fell was also taken to a hospital.
The boom arm took out a street lamp as well, and left rebar strewn across the roadway, CBS2's Alice Gainer reported.
FDNY evacuated approximately 29 workers from the site out of precaution pending a DOB evaluation. EMS treated and transported the woman to St. Barnabas Hospital.
The Department of Buildings say inspectors are responding.
Traffic in the area has been disrupted.
A boom truck collapsed at a construction site on Bedford Park Boulevard, crushing a car.
One person was hospitalized.
It happened around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday.
Emergency responders including police, fire and Department of Buildings personnel are on the scene.
Twenty nine workers from the construction site were evacuated as a precaution.
Chopper 2 is checking out stories and traffic around our area, including a report of a crane collapsing on a car in the Bronx. See more local coverage on CBS News New York: http://cbsloc.al/cbsnnewyork
Tim McNicholas is a Morning Insider reporter for CBS2 Chicago.
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