Tigers#1
07-30-2002, 04:52 PM
A construction worker at Ford Field fell 150 feet and died this morning when a crane holding him near the stadium's roof collapsed, police said.
The worker was in a basket painting the trusses at the top of the stadium when the crane tipped, said Michael Phelan, an ironworker with Local 25 who was at the scene.
``We believe this a freak accident,'' Phelan said.
The worker was identified by family members as Gjon Gojcaj, 42, of Macomb County. Gojcaj, originally from Albania, had five children and had been working at the stadium for a month, said his cousin, Jason Gojcaj, who arrived at the scene after the accident.
The accident happened around 10 a.m. The rest of the construction crews were sent home for the day, said Tom Lewand, the chief operating officer for Ford Field.
Lewand said the site would remain closed while Detroit Police and the state regulators investigate the accident.
The painter worked for Thomarios Painting, based in Akron, Ohio, according to Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services, Construction and Safety Division.
The basket landed upside down in the lower tier of seats, said Brian Dye, a painter who was working a different part of the stadium.
Phelan said it was the first fatal accident since construction began. A rooftop air-handling unit caught fire in May but there were no injuries.
``Everyone is very upset,'' he said. ``We are just trying to pull together and support all the workers.''
The 65,000-seat stadium, the new downtown home of the Detroit Lions, is slated to open next month when the team hosts Pittsburgh in an exhibition game.
The Lions are returning downtown - from the Pontiac Silverdome - for the first time since 1974 at the new $315 million venue.
Ford Field includes a giant glass wall, revealing the Detroit skyline, and the old Hudson's warehouse, originally built in 1920.
The stadium is scheduled to host the Super Bowl in 2006.
High winds caused a crane to collapse during construction of Miller Park, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers, in 1999, killing three ironworkers.
A 450-ton piece of roof dropped in that accident and caused $100 million in damage to the stadium.
As a result, the park's opening was delayed by a season.
The worker was in a basket painting the trusses at the top of the stadium when the crane tipped, said Michael Phelan, an ironworker with Local 25 who was at the scene.
``We believe this a freak accident,'' Phelan said.
The worker was identified by family members as Gjon Gojcaj, 42, of Macomb County. Gojcaj, originally from Albania, had five children and had been working at the stadium for a month, said his cousin, Jason Gojcaj, who arrived at the scene after the accident.
The accident happened around 10 a.m. The rest of the construction crews were sent home for the day, said Tom Lewand, the chief operating officer for Ford Field.
Lewand said the site would remain closed while Detroit Police and the state regulators investigate the accident.
The painter worked for Thomarios Painting, based in Akron, Ohio, according to Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services, Construction and Safety Division.
The basket landed upside down in the lower tier of seats, said Brian Dye, a painter who was working a different part of the stadium.
Phelan said it was the first fatal accident since construction began. A rooftop air-handling unit caught fire in May but there were no injuries.
``Everyone is very upset,'' he said. ``We are just trying to pull together and support all the workers.''
The 65,000-seat stadium, the new downtown home of the Detroit Lions, is slated to open next month when the team hosts Pittsburgh in an exhibition game.
The Lions are returning downtown - from the Pontiac Silverdome - for the first time since 1974 at the new $315 million venue.
Ford Field includes a giant glass wall, revealing the Detroit skyline, and the old Hudson's warehouse, originally built in 1920.
The stadium is scheduled to host the Super Bowl in 2006.
High winds caused a crane to collapse during construction of Miller Park, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers, in 1999, killing three ironworkers.
A 450-ton piece of roof dropped in that accident and caused $100 million in damage to the stadium.
As a result, the park's opening was delayed by a season.