NEW YORK (AP) -- Officials say a crane operator and a contractor failed to inspect equipment and ran the rig unsafely before it collapsed at a Queens apartment tower construction site. Seven construction workers were hurt.
The city Buildings Department said Wednesday that crane operator Paul Geer and contractor Cross Country Construction LLC were each cited with five violations stemming from the Jan. 9 accident. Each faces at least $64,000 in fines.
No phone number could be found for Geer. His union and Cross Country Construction didn't immediately return calls.
Officials have said the operator was trying to lift more than twice the crane's capacity when its arm fell.
The project developer and a site safety manager also were cited with a violation apiece.
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