4 The Courier SUN • december 1, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Two construction workers were killed in crane mishap at Briarwood building site By Angela Matua [email protected] @AngelaMatua Two men were killed at a construction site in Briarwood on the afternoon of Nov. 22, according to the NYPD. Police said the two workers, ages 43 and 47, were found unresponsive and unconscious at a construction site at 81-10 134th St. at 12:10 p.m. According to AMNY, the 47-year-old worker was posting a beam when it fell from the crane and struck the crane’s cab as well as a 43-year-old flag person. The men were identified as George Smith, 47, of Brooklyn and Alessandro Ramos, 43, of Jamaica, Queens. Commissioner of the Department of Buildings (DOB) Rick Chandler said this was “a tragic accident.” “We are at the beginning of a multiagency investigation into the cause of this accident,” Chandler said. “Based upon an immediate assessment of the evidence, it is unlikely that wind played a role in the incident. At this time, it appears that there was likely a rigging failure that resulted in the beam coming loose and falling to the ground. However, we have not made any final determinations.” According to DOB records, the building is a seven-story residential project owned by Briarwood MP, LLC. An employee at the crane operating company, Brooklynbased Cranes Express, declined to comment. The load that fell was approximately 6,500 pounds, according to the DOB. The DOB issued a weather advisory encouraging property owners, contractors and crane operators to take “precautionary measures” due to high winds from Nov. 19 through Nov. 21. Wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour were expected at that time. According to the National Weather Service, the forecast in Briarwood on the day of the accident included sustained winds from 23 to 25 mph, with gusts of up to 36 mph. It is not clear if wind played a factor in the beam’s fall. Howard Beach man charged with fatally shooting another man in money fight By Robert Pozarycki [email protected] @robbpoz Police have a suspect in custody in connection with the murder of a 30-year-old Howard Beach man who was shot to death in his apartment on the night of Nov. 22. Joseph Amatuccio, 34, of 151st Avenue who was apprehended at the scene, was charged with seconddegree murder and weapons possession for allegedly killing Christopher Cognato, 30, who resided on 102nd Street in Howard Beach. Sources familiar with the investigation told The Courier the shooting was the result of a dispute between the two men over a sum of money. Law enforcement sources said the shooting took place some time before 6:25 p.m. on Nov. 22 inside Amatuccio’s apartment on 151st Avenue in the Lindenwood section of the neighborhood. Officers from the 106th Precinct and EMS units responded to the location after receiving a 911 call about the shooting. Upon arrival, they found Cognato unconscious and unresponsive with gunshot wounds to his arm, neck and chest. Paramedics rushed Cognato to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival; his identity was withheld by police pending family notification. Amatuccio was ordered held without bail following his arraignment on Nov. 23, according to court records. Major road work shuts lanes on Cross Bay Bridge By Robert Pozarycki [email protected] @robbpoz If you rely on the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge to regularly travel to and from the Rockaways, you can expect to experience some extended delays beginning next week. Work crews will close two of the bridge’s three southbound lanes at all times (except on weekends) to begin repairing the bridge’s joints. The project is starting the week of Nov. 28 and will last approximately three weeks. This means that, for most of the next three weeks, there will only be one lane of Rockaway-bound traffic available on the Cross Bay Bridge, which carries nearly 22,000 vehicles per day, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. The northbound lanes are unaffected. The bridge is the only span linking southwest Queens with the Rockaway Peninsula. The closest alternate route is the Gil Hodges Marine Parkway Bridge between Brooklyn and the western Rockaways. Beyond that, drivers would need to travel into Nassau County via Rockaway Boulevard, Rockaway Turnpike and the Nassau Expressway to reach Far Rockaway and neighboring communities. Two limited bus lines, the Q52 and Q53, also cross the Cross Bay Bridge in both directions, so commuters who use these lines should also anticipate some residual delays. For more information, visit the MTA’s website. Photo via Twitter/NYPD Special Ops Photo via Wikimedia Commons The Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge
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