photo by joeltelling [flickr]

You probably remember that two days after the Bellevue crane collapse last fall, two Seattle P-I writers (whose names you can easily discover on your own) went the extra mile in their reporting and all but blamed the crane operator for the accident because he used meth over 5 years ago. The headline read, “Lynch the operator! He used drugs a half decade ago!” Or something akin to that. It was one of the most abominable pieces of journalism I’ve ever had the misfortune of encountering (Fox News, et. al. withstanding). It was unethical, shameful, and just plain stupid. And it also portended the sensational, New York Post style of reporting the P-I has embraced.

Today the official findings were released [Times] and much to the surprise of nobody (probably not even the P-I) the unusual design of the crane base has been exposed as the culprit (I’m sure it was high on meth at the time, too) and the engineering company that designed the base has been fined. The crane operating company has also been fined for not conducting the proper inspections and for hanging heavy banners from the crane boom. Suffice to say, the operator was not found at fault. And his relatively distant history of drug use? Not a factor. He was clean as a whistle when that crane fell over.

Yet, there’s still no apology from the P-I and I doubt one is forthcoming. It’s a damn shame, too.

photo by rb_uncle [flickr]

This morning the P-I reports the crane collapse in Bellevue last November was the result of a faulty crane base [p-i]. However, just because some silly engineers from the Department of Labor & Industries arrived at this conclusion after studying the accident for 3 months it doesn’t let the crane operator off the hook. As you may remember, one day after the accident the P-I ran a front-page story on the operator informing us of his past transgressions which include drug use and spousal infidelity [p-i] implying these were the reasons the crane collapsed. Furthermore, this writer believes the operator may be responsible for slavery, communism, and the Mariners futility over the last 5 years.

A faulty crane base? Don’t believe it. The P-I was right the first time and that suicidal operator and his drug use 6 years ago is the only reason the crane fell over. Unless the P-I suddenly recants its original story and apologizes to the operator and his family, I say we march on the steps of the Capitol building and demand justice. That operator should not be allowed to get away with barely suriving a tragic accident.

And to those demanding the P-I publicly apologize to the operator, you’re obviously bat-guano insane. People with a history of drug use and spousal infidelity should be immediately disqualified from jobs requiring any responsibility or accountability. I mean, imagine a world where someone with a checkered distant past could be picked to hold a position of responsibility! The P-I is letting this guy off the hook — let’s not make the same mistake.

One of downtown Bellevue’s perpetual high-rise construction projects turned deadly tonight when a crane from the Tower 333 project collapsed onto 108th Ave NE, smashing several buildings and killing at least one person. The crane operator “rode the crane down” but apparently walked away from the crash. About 100 people were forced to leave their homes while investigators and crews worked to clean up the mess.

Any eyewitness reports from our Bellevue readers?

[Seattle Times]

[P-I]