Crane Operator Charged in 2014 Construction Site Deaths

Crane operatore Mark Powell has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the 2014 deaths of two of his coworkers who fell to their deaths after the basket they were in broke free from the crane. Powell also faces two felony counts of violating occupational safety or health standards causing death.

Powell was allegedly operating the crane that carried two workers — one of whom was his son —to repair and reattach a wire line atop a second drilling crane. Powell used the crane to lower the men, but the wire line became stuck in the drilling crane and set off a series of events that led to the men and their basket dropping 80 feet to the ground.

According to Cal-OSHA's cited violations for the accident, the crane Powell was using was not certified for lifting and the safety latch on the hook that held the personnel basket was defective and did not lock.

(more on the charges against Powell in the 2014 accident...)