A few weeks ago, a crane collapsed early on a Sunday morning while attempting to remove a 7,000-pound sign which hangs over the intersection of Westheimer and Post Oak Boulevard near the Houston Galleria. Anyone who has visited the area will remember the iconic circular street signs which hang over three Galleria-area intersections. The signs are being temporarily relocated during a construction project to widen Post Oak Blvd.
According to Marla Carter with ABC13 Eyewitness News, the crane toppled over 
around 3:15am on April 23 and hit a cherry picker which had two workers in its basket. One worker was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, and the other was treated at the scene. No other injuries were reported. Two additional cranes were called in to remove the toppled crane and the heavy sign.
Uptown Houston released the following statement that afternoon:
“This morning there was a crane incident at the intersection of Westheimer and Post Oak Boulevard when one of the iconic stainless steel rings was being removed for maintenance. Our primary concern is for the safety of our community, contractors and employees. We are thankful both workers only sustained minor injuries and have been released from the hospital. The intersection has been cleared and there are no traffic delays.”
While it is too early in the investigation to speculate, some industry experts have said that the accident could have been caused by a number of reasons. The ground may have given way, the main crane may have needed a counterweight, or perhaps a cable snapped. Whatever the reason, it was certainly an accident, as no one goes to work with the intention of allowing something so damaging to occur. Fortunately, as Carter said in her report, “no one was seriously hurt.”
You can watch the ABC13 television report in the 3-minute video below:
