Crane operator injured in accident released from hospital
A Cape Coral construction worker has been released from the hospital following an accident.
As of Thursday, Charles Steven Gibbard, 46, had been discharged from Lee Memorial Hospital, where he was taken after the incident at Terminal Access Road and Ben Hill Griffin Parkway, officials said.
On Jan. 21, James Emanual Powers, 71, of Jacksonville, was driving an automobile transporter eastbound on Terminal Access Road in the inside lane, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The outside lane was closed for construction being done on the overpass at Ben Hill Griffin Parkway.
At about 11 a.m., the front left corner of the semitrailer and the left side of the automobile hauler collided with the underneath portion of an extended boom crane on site for the construction.
The FHP reported that the boom crane rotated as a result of the collision.
The crane operator, Gibbard, was thrown from his protective harness and raised basket onto the roadway. He sustained serious injuries in the accident and was transported to the hospital.
The incident was under investigation, according to officials.