New York City construction worker, 19, killed by father in cherry picker mishap
NEW YORK -- A 19-year-old construction worker was fatally struck by a mobile hydraulic lift Friday morning, police say.
The victim was directing his father, the cherry picker operator, through an intersection in New York City's East Village shortly after 8:30 a.m., according to police.
The son was attempting to guide his father onto a flatbed truck through a busy intersection at First Avenue and East Seventh Street, police say.
The victim was then apparently run over by the lift, operated by his father, eyewitnesses say.
According to police, the construction worker was pronounced dead at the scene.
"The father was a few steps away... holding his head, probably being in shock, not really believing what happened. It was horrible," eyewitness Gosia Kaminska said. "The people that were trying to save (his son) they covered him up with something. There was no way that you could help him."
Witnesses say they believe the son was trying to stop traffic in the busy intersection, rather than guide the cherry picker.
In 2021 there were 22 construction worker deaths in New York City, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The 42-year-old father is being questioned, police say.
No charges have been filed. No other injuries were reported.
The accident remains under investigation.
