VERO BEACH, FL —
A construction worker suffered a severe head injury Monday after the crane he was operating at a hotel construction site near Historic Dodgertown toppled over, Vero Beach police said.
The man, who has not been identified, may have hit a soft spot in the ground, causing the machine to fall on its side, according to Officer Mathew Donsife of the Vero Beach Police Department. The crane operator hit his head on a pile of lumber stacked on the ground next to the machine.
Donsife, who arrived on scene just after the 10:20 a.m. incident, said blood was visible.
"After the initial fall, he was unconscious for a moment," Donsife said.
The man became alert at the scene and was transported to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute, according to police.
The construction site is located next to Historic Dodgertown on the corner of Aviation Boulevard and Flight Safety Drive. It is slated to become an extended-stay, all suites hotel called Star Suites, commissioned by the Riverside Theater.
Sixty one-bedroom suites are planned and will be earmarked for Riverside Theatre's production staff, such as performers and designers. Rooms not needed by the theater will be available to the public beginning when it opens in January.