BEECHHURST — A Port Washington, L.I., man was killed Tuesday when the boom of a crane snapped and pinned him against a vehicle on the Throgs Neck Bridge, police said.
Police said William Barnes, 48, of 15 Mohegan Ave. in Port Washington, died at about 10:30 a.m. when he was crushed beneath the crane’s arm while doing construction work on the bridge Tuesday morning.
The accident snarled traffic on the Throgs Neck Bridge for several hours while Fire Department officials worked to extricate Barnes’ body.
“We had to extricate him but the problem was it was a far-larger-sized piece that was pinning him,” FDNY Battalion Chief John Downey said.
Construction workers crowded around the gurney carrying Barnes’ body, paying their final respects as it was loaded onto a truck from the city Medical Examiner’s truck.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Fire Department were both investigating the cause of the accident Tuesday. Traffic began moving again after about 12:30 p.m.
