PSE&G accident cuts off worker's foot

Thursday, October 23, 2008
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A construction worker's foot was severed by a 4,000-pound steel pipe swinging out of control from a crane yesterday at the Public Service Electric & Gas facility in Jersey City off St. Paul's Avenue near the Pulaski Skyway, officials said.

At about 8 a.m., Gerard McDonald, 54, of Farmingdale, ran for his life when a 50-foot-tall hollow steel pile swung out of control while attached to a crane, reports said.

The crane operator lowered the 2-ton pile to the ground in an effort to get it under control, but its end pinned and severed McDonald's right foot as it came down, reports said.

When firefighters arrived the foot was still beneath the pile and firefighters and construction workers had to dig it out, Fire Director Armando Roman said.

The foot was placed in a bag, packed in ice and it made the trip to University Hospital in Newark in the ambulance with McDonald, Roman said.

Doctors were hoping to reattach the foot. Hospital officials said last night McDonald was in stable condition, but provided no other details.

McDonald is an independent contractor and not a PSE&G employee, Roman said, adding that the incident happened at Duffield and Van Keuren avenues.