July 23, 2012
The operator of a high-reach excavator is in serious condition after a slab of concrete fell on the machine, crushing the cab around him. According to reports, the reinforced cab of the Hitachi EX700 formed a cocoon around him.
The man was demolishing a dormitory at the University of Washington in Seattle, when a 15x30-foot piece of concrete weighing 40,000 pounds fell six stories, landing on the excavator.
Rhine Demolition was doing the work for contractor Walsh Construction, according to local news outlet KOMO.
