NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A box truck driver toppled a sidewalk shed in Chelsea on Monday morning, injuring three people in the collapse, one of them critically, officials said.
Three people were taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, the FDNY said. Two were in serious but stable condition, while a third suffered critical injuries.
The truck driver hit the sidewalk shed at 245 West 29th St. just after 8:15 a.m., according to police.
The collision caused the wood and metal structure to collapse into a 40-foot-long debris field.
A superintendent who works down the block described hearing a cracking sound before rushing over to help those crushed by the rubble. "I run and I saw a guy underneath there," he said. "Tried to help them to take him out and then the fire department came."
According to City Council Member Erik Bottcher, the box truck’s driver was pulling out of a parking spot when the truck somehow hooked onto the shed and pulled it down.
The person who was critically injured is believed to be a man who lives on the block, Bottcher said. The man was admitted to the Bellevue trauma unit with a head injury.
Surveillance video from the scene shows the truck barely moving before the structure collapsed.
The trucker driver remained at the scene and was cooperating, police said.
No arrests have been made as the investigation continues, according to police.
The city Department of Buildings, which had investigators on-scene, said a preliminary report found the truck made impact with a sidewalk shed for 231 West 29th St., leading to the collapse.
NYC Emergency Management warned of traffic delays, road closures and mass transit disruptions in the area.