Drama unfolded yesterday near the GM Spring Hill plant in Tennessee when a bridge collapsed during a scheduled demolition, trapping a construction worker in the process. Firefighters managed to rescue the man before he was injured.
As construction crews worked to tear down the bridge on Wednesday, it unexpectedly gave way, suspending an excavator high above a tangle of jagged concrete, effectively trapping the operator.
Warning: graphic language in video below –
Spring Hill police and firefighters quickly rushed to the scene. After contacting the operator via phone and telling him to remain calm, firefighters proceeded to tie ropes and harnesses to a ladder truck.
From there, firefighters managed to lower a rescuer to meet the trapped construction worker still inside the excavator. They then gave the operator a harness and helmet, secured him to the rescue line, and lowered him to the ground uninjured.
VIDEO: The driver of a crane is rescued after it fell with the ground at a site right next to where GM employees are protesting. Crowds were cheering. @NC5 pic.twitter.com/5aAv6ilKkH
— Matthew Torres (@NC5_MTorres) September 19, 2019
The incident was unrelated to the current UAW strike at the GM Spring Hill plant, but occurred within earshot of the picket line. After hearing a loud crash, protesters rushed over to see what was happening.
According to a report by Franklin Home Page, the timing of the GM Spring Hill plant bridge collapse was oddly coincidental, as firefighters had trained on similar rescue scenarios just prior to executing them for real at the scene of the accident.
“As ironic as this is, we were in class all week doing the same type of extrication; using our ladder trucks and our ropes,” said Spring Hill Fire Chief Terry Hood. “Again, it was [the] exact rescue we’d been talking about all week long in class, and so for us, it was a true end of the class.”
For reference, the GM Spring Hill plant is responsible for production of the Cadillac XT5 and GMC Acadia, plus various propulsion systems and polymer injection molds. Around 3,300 UAW members are on strike at the facility in conjunction with the 50,000 of so UAW members participating in the nationwide GM strike.
Recently, several UAW members were arrested at the GM Spring Hill plant for obstructing passage across the picket line.
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Source: Franklin Home Page
Comments
And in other slightly GM related fluff news, a cat coughed up a hairball next to my GTO’s tire today. The hairball indicated that the cat involved had been eating what appeared to be well-watered fescue, which the neighbor refused to comment on when asked.
For reference, the GTO was made by Holden for Pontiac from 2004 to 2006.
There were no indications of damage to the GTO, but a thorough investigation is still pending.
Excellent. This is the best comment I’ve read all day. Thank you.
It’s ok. I’m pretty sure that’s a Mexican built Ram there on the scene, ready to take care of things.