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Copyright © 2015 Albuquerque Journal

Larry Long peered upward Sunday afternoon to see his longtime friend and four neighborhood kids waving at him from at least 50 feet in the air, enjoying what he said was a regular joyride atop a crane used by a tree-removal company. He snapped a photo with his phone and waved back.

But when the gust of wind blew through soon afterward, Long said he knew what was coming. The gust made the crane sway, and, finally, topple, taking out a power line and landing within 100 feet of his home. The fall killed the man and the eldest of the children, police said. Long said he saw the eldest child push the smaller children down to protect them as the crane descended.

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“I had just got home, and had this bird’s eye view,” Long told the Journal. “There was a little storm that came through, and it gave that little push. … Boy, it’s such a tragedy.”

The accident happened before 2:30 p.m. near Cochiti and Dorothy SE, near Juan Tabo and Central. The children ranged in age from 7 to 12, said Albuquerque police spokesman Simon Drobik, though none of the victims has been identified. He said it’s possible that the man brought the kids up the crane for a joyride, as witnesses told police the man had done in the past.

Drobik said the child who died was 12, the oldest of the four. Two other children, a 10-year-old and 7-year-old, are in critical condition, and another 10-year-old child is in stable condition, Drobik said in an email late Sunday.

“I received an update from the hospital and they advised the children in critical condition are not out of the woods yet,” Drobik said in the 9 p.m. email. “We would ask the community to keep these children in your thoughts and prayers as expressed by many officers and responding first responders from AFD who were first on scene.”

A witness told police the crane fell after a strong wind gust, Drobik said. The crane was operated from the top of a flatbed trailer, he said, and therefore could not deploy stabilizing legs that might have kept it upright.

The crane belonged to Ken’s Tree Company, Drobik said, and carries a small basket at the top of its arm. Calls to the company’s owner were not returned Sunday. The crane could be seen sprawled across Dorothy Street, having fallen from west to east over a power line, and a body could be seen lying under a sheet not far from the crane. Police cordoned off much of the block of mostly mobile homes and businesses.

Drobik said the children were rushed to the hospital in a “scoop and run” maneuver, which means paramedics acted quickly to get the children into an ambulance. He said the deceased child was dead upon arrival at the hospital.

Long, a mechanic who said he had known the adult victim for 20 years, said the man takes children from around the neighborhood on the crane most weekends and holidays. He described him as a loving, safety-conscious man who had given the same thrilling trip dozens of times before to kids who wanted it.

He witnessed the fall, he said, and police detectives interviewed him. He saw the man and the four children waving in the basket, and he snapped a photo with his phone. That’s when a gust of wind whipped by and the crane toppled. He said the crane was fully extended, at least 50 feet high, when the gust hit it.

The accident happened before 2:30 p.m. near Cochiti and Dorothy Street. The children ranged in age between 7 and 12, said Albuquerque police spokesman Simon Drobik. He said it’s possible the man brought the kids up the crane for a joyride, as witnesses told police the man had done in the past.

“He was one of the nicest guys in this whole neighborhood,” Long said. “He was also so safety-conscious. Those kids convinced him to do it. I guarantee it. … The crane was unstable. It should never have happened.”

Also visible at the scene of the accident was a flatbed trailer tilted on its side. It appears that the base of the crane was somehow fixed to the trailer and tipped over as the crane fell. Long said the man who died had never operated the crane off the flatbed trailer before.

A witness told police the crane fell after a strong wind gust, Drobik said. The crane was operated from the top of a flatbed trailer, Drobik said, and therefore could not deploy stabilizing legs that might have kept upright.

Long said he saw the crane topple and ran to the scene, expecting to perform CPR and call 911. He said that the man was clearly dead and that the children all suffered head injuries. As for the eldest child, he said the boy towered over the other children and suffered the most extensive injuries. He said it appeared that the eldest was pushing the other children out of the way as the crane fell.

“It’s a sad day for at least a couple families in this neighborhood,” Long said.

Drobik said the child who died was 12, the oldest of the four. Two other children, a 10-year-old and 7-year-old, are in critical condition, and another 10-year-old child is in stable condition.

Long said his neighbor always hosted block parties, going door to door to invite people over for food and fun at no cost. The rides on the crane were a big hit among neighborhood kids, he said, and Long helped out his neighbors whenever they needed.

Drobik said crimes against children detectives were called to aid in the investigation, and he said Sunday afternoon that police might also call their motor investigations unit to take measurements and further investigate what could have caused the accident.

“I received an update from the hospital and they advised the children in critical condition are not out of the woods yet,” Drobik said in an email at 9 p.m. on Sunday night. “We would ask the community to keep these children in your thoughts and prayers as expressed by many officers and responding first responders from AFD who were first on scene.”

Brent Wachter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said a 33-mph gust of wind blew past the service’s monitoring station at around 2:30 p.m. He didn’t know if the gust persisted all the way to the area near where the accident happened, but he said the city experienced intermittent wind gusts produced from a mild storm that dropped trace amounts of rain across the city.

The crane belonged to Ken’s Tree Company, Drobik said, and carries a small basket for occupants at the top of its arm. It could be seen sprawled across Dorothy Street, having fallen from west to east over a power line, and a body could be seen lying under a sheet not far from the crane. Police cordoned off much of the block of mostly mobile homes and businesses.

Larry Long, a mechanic who said he knew the adult victim for 20 years, said the man takes children from around the neighborhood on the crane most weekends and holidays. He described him as a loving, safety-conscious man who had given the same thrilling trip dozens of times before to kids who wanted it.

He witnessed the fall, he said, and police detectives interviewed him. He saw the man and the four children waving in the litter, and he snapped a photograph with his phone. That’s when a gust of wind occurred and the crane toppled. He said the crane was fully extended, at least 50 feet high, when the gust hit it.

“He was one of the nicest guys in this whole neighborhood,” Long said. “He was also so safety conscious. Those kids convinced him to do it. I guarantee it. … The crane was unstable. It should never have happened.

Also visible at the scene of the accident was a flatbed trailer tilted on its side. It appears the base of the crane was somehow fixed to the trailer and tipped over as the crane fell. Long said the man who died never operated the crane off the flatbed trailer before.

Long said he saw the crane topple and ran to the carnage, expecting to perform CPR and call 911. He said the man was clearly dead and that the children all suffered head injuries. As for the eldest child, he said the boy towered over the other children and suffered the most extensive injuries. He said it appeared the eldest was pushing the other children out of the way as the crane fell.

“It’s a sad day for at least a couple families in this neighborhood,” Long said.

Long said his neighbor always hosted block parties, going door to door to invite people over for food and fun at no cost. The rides on the crane were a big hit among neighborhood kids, he said, and Long would help out his neighbors whenever they needed.

Drobik said crimes against children detectives were called to aid in the investigation, and he said Sunday afternoon that police might also call their motor investigations unit to take measurements and further investigate what could have caused the accident.