APRIL 24, 2015
MANHATTAN, NY
A 40-year-old worker was killed in a construction accident
in Midtown Manhattan on Friday, the authorities said.
The man, Trevor Loftus of Yonkers, (owner of Kenry
Construction Inc) was moving construction materials at the site — 219 East 44th
Street, between Second and Third Avenues — with a truck-mounted device called a
knuckle boom when its hydraulic system failed, officials said. “He went to
check on it, and he basically got crushed,” a police spokeswoman said.
The crane truck is owned by Kenry Contracting, Inc., 9 Central
Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10705, (914) 237-3797.
The episode, which is under investigation, occurred around
11:45 a.m., officials said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, the
police said.
Eddie Jorge, an organizer for the New York State Ironworkers
District Council, who was at the scene after the accident occurred, said
problems like this with knuckle booms were fairly rare. An employee who
answered the phone at the company that owns the truck, Kerry Contracting Inc.
of Yonkers, said the company had no comment.
According to records from the city’s Buildings Department, a
35-story hotel is being built on the site. The developer of record for the
project, Raber Enterprises, did not return phone calls or an email on Friday
afternoon. A woman who answered the phone at another company connected to the
project, Flintlock Construction Services L.L.C., said it was “a tragic
accident,” but otherwise had no comment.
Loftus was a native of Ireland, where he grew up in County
Limerick. He played soccer and hurling
for the club Pallaskenry GAA. He watched the club play in January, said Trish
O'Dowd, treasurer of the club.
"He was a good club man and in later years supported
our fundraisers," O'Dowd said. "He always put his mam and younger
brothers first in anything and was a great family man. Obviously we are raw
since his death and hope he sleeps in peace." RIP.