No serious injuries after crane tips over in East Lansing

Dawn Parker | Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING – A crane fell Wednesday afternoon at a development under construction on West Grand River Avenue, but no major injuries were reported, according to officials on the scene.

East Lansing Police Sgt. James Campbell said police were called shortly after 1 p.m. to the construction site of 300 Grand, a commercial and residential development at 300 W. Grand River Avenue between the West Village Condos and Biggby Coffee. Campbell said the construction crane was loading a pallet of wood when it tipped over.

One member of the crew was shaken up and was taken to the hospital for evaluation, said Colin Cronin, vice-president of Lansing Township-based DTN Management, which is developing the project. Construction began last month.

Cronin said the crane’s internal load balancers appear to have quit working.

The crane initially appeared undamaged, but Cronin said it was later discovered that two pieces of the boom are bent and need replacing. Those parts are coming from another crane near Grand Rapids, Cronin said.

The crane fell onto an excavator, a fence and a portable toilet on the site at 300 W. Grand River Avenue, Cronin said.

“We are thankful no one is hurt,” said Cronin, who was at the site following the incident.

The project includes the construction of a new, four-story, mixed-use building with more than 6,000 square feet of commercial space and 30 apartments.

The $9.5 million 300 Grand project is the third phase of DTN Management's West Village project. The project broke ground on Oct. 12 and is expected to be completed by fall 2016.

Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration staff were at the site briefly Wednesday afternoon and plan to return Thursday, Cronin said. MIOSHA wants to make sure safety protocols are being followed, he added. MIOSHA offices were closed Wednesday.

The site may be closed for a day or two, Cronin said.