Criminal Case Opened Over Crane Accident

By The Moscow Times

April 25, 2013

A photo taken by witnesses showing the damage at the scene.

A criminal case has been opened after a construction crane fell on a Mercedes believed to belong to the Prosecutor General's Office in the Novosibirsk region on Wednesday, injuring the crane operator.

"The victim was hospitalized with multiple fractures. He is in serious condition," a spokesman from the regional Emergency Situations Ministry said, Vesti.ru reported Thursday.

Witnesses said the crane had been operating in strong winds, and that they saw it wobbling before it fell.

At 5:50 p.m. on Wednesday, the crane collapsed in the Oktyabrsky district, damaging three cars parked nearby: a truck, a Lexus and an S-class Mercedes with government license plate numbers.

There is only one such car in the region, and it belongs to Deputy Attorney General for the Siberian Federal District Ivan Semchishin.

The luxury-class vehicle was parked opposite the district's Prosecutor General's Office.

A criminal case has been opened on grounds of a safety rules violation, as the operation of construction equipment in stormy weather is prohibited.

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