From: NY Daily News
A man delivering construction materials to a residential development site in Jersey City, N.J., died in a freak accident Monday when a tape-measure fell from the building’s 50th story and hit him in the head.
Gary Anderson, 58, was delivering sheetrock to 70-90 Christopher Columbus Drive, a high-rise building under construction, and arrived about 8:45 a.m., authorities said. He stepped out of his truck but left his safety helmet inside, police said.
As he walked toward the building, a tape-measure fell from the belt of a worker on the structure’s top floor, police said. It struck a piece a metal about 10 feet from the ground and ricocheted into Anderson’s head, a police report states.
“Mr. Anderson immediately went down to the ground,” the report says.
“Upon preliminary investigation, it appears to be a very tragic accident,” said Jersey City Public Safety Director James Shea.
Anderson was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center, where he died just before 10 a.m. His wife, daughters and other relatives were notified of his passing when they arrived at the hospital, according to the police report.
A supervisor for AJD Construction, a contractor working on the project, said safety protocols require anyone on site to wear a helmet at all times. Anderson was not an employee of the company.
