Man hospitalized
after facade collapse
in Crown Heights
About 500 pounds of cement facade fell off a Crown Heights building on July 22. Photo by Todd Maisel
DO IT FOR THEM.
COURIER LIFE,6 JULY 31-AUGUST 6, 2020
BY TODD MAISEL
A man sustained serious
injuries after piles of concrete
fell from the facade of a
Crown Heights supermarket
and struck him in the head
on Wednesday afternoon, authorities
said.
Shoppers were walking
along the sidewalk past
Idea Supermarket at 1412
St. John’s Pl. near Utica Avenue
when the building’s
500-pound cornice broke
loose from the brick building
and toppled to the ground at
around 3:30 pm.
One falling brick struck
the 39-year-old passerby in
the head, fracturing his skull
and injuring his ribs and
shoulder, his wife told NBC.
First responders rushed
the victim to Kings County
Hospital for treatment of nonlife
threatening injuries, fi re
offi cials said.
Authorities on the scene
closed off the area to pedestrians
and requested the Department
of Buildings conduct
an investigation into
any further potential collapse
hazards.
Following the incident,
offi cials implemented a partial
vacate order for the twostory
structure — whose facade
may be up to a century
old. DOB reps said the building
will most likely require a
sidewalk shed to safeguard
the public from any additional
falling debris.
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