Worker hurt in Snowmass crane collapse

SNOWMASS VILLAGE — A worker was hurt Tuesday when a large crane at the Viceroy Hotel construction site in Snowmass Village toppled over at about 8:20 a.m.

The crane hit a small welding tank, causing an explosion, but the fire was quickly extinguished, according to authorites.

The crane also struck an iron cross beam, causing a worker to fall 6 to 8 feet and hit his head, said authorities at the scene. The worker was wearing a safety harness. No report on his condition is yet available.

The crane was lifting a pot of roofing tar that weighed close to 10,000 pounds when a mechnical failure — possibly a snapped cable — caused it to topple. The crane was capable of lifting 45,000 pounds, officials said.

“We’re labeling this, preliminarily, a mechanical failure. This is the type of thing that you dread in this industry,” said Chad Olivier, construction manager for Viceroy contractor CFCPCL.

Olivier said he was “extremely thankful” the incident wasn’t worse.

<i>Aspen Times reporter Katie Redding contributed to this report from the scene.</i>