Widow Of Man Killed In Tribeca Crane Collapse Suing City For $600 Million
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The widow of a man killed in a crane collapse in Lower Manhattan in February is filing a lawsuit against the city for $600 million.
David Wichs, 38, of the Upper West Side was killed when the crane came down on Friday Feb. 5 on Worth Street near Church Street in Tribeca. He was walking down the street at the time.
The 565-foot big rig, owned by Bay Crane of Long Island City, Queens and Hicksville, Long Island, and operated by Galasso Trucking and Rigging, was being secured because of the weather at the time. Winds were high amid a snow squall.
Cellphone video captured the moment the massive crane fell to the street.
On Thursday, Wichs' wife, Rebecca, filed a notice of claim saying she plans to sue for conscious pain and suffering, economic damages, and the wrongful death of her husband.
The claim alleged that the city failed to supervise the work being done in the area and ensure the safety of the crane, failed to consider the weather conditions, and failed to instruct that the crane be secured ahead of time.
Three others were injured, including 73-year-old Thomas O'Brien, who suffered a head injury. O'Brien, of North Eastern, Massachusetts, filed a $30 million claim against the city in March.
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