Miami Beach police investigate a deadly construction accident at 8000 Harding Avenue. NICHOLAS NEHAMAS nnehamas@miamiherald.com
By Carli Teproff and Nicholas Nehamas
cteproff@miamiherald.com
North Beach, FL
A 47-year-old construction worker at a North Beach apartment building fell at least 30 feet to his death Wednesday afternoon when the scaffolding he was on collapsed, according to police.
It appeared that a cement truck that was part of the construction site may have hit cables that kept the scaffolding attached to the building at 8000 Harding Ave., said Ernesto Rodriguez, a spokesman for Miami Beach police.
Late into the night, Harding Avenue from 80th to 83rd streets remained closed as detectives investigated.
“It appears to be a very tragic accident,” Rodriguez said.
Just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, police received a call that someone fell from scaffolding.
When officers arrived to the seven-story building called the 8000 Condominium, they found a 47-year-old man, also named Ernesto Rodriguez, dead.
For hours, Rodriguez’s body remained outside the building under a yellow tarp.
Ricardo Pastor, who lives in another part of the building, told the Miami Herald that workers have been repairing balconies for about a month.
While the investigation will continue, Rodriguez said that charges are not anticipated.
