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Part Of Scaffolding 'Went Vertical' At Brooklyn Building, Killing Worker
By
Nathan Tempey
Published Jun 19, 2017
Modified Jun 20, 2017
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By
Nathan Tempey
Published Jun 19, 2017
Modified Jun 20, 2017
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A construction worker fell to his death from scaffolding at a troubled building in East Flatbush on Sunday afternoon, according to the authorities.
Paramedics responding to a 911 call found the fallen 58-year-old at the building on the corner of Linden Boulevard and Nostrand Avenue and rushed him to Kings County Hospital in critical condition. Doctors there later pronounced him dead, police said.
The NYPD is withholding the man's name pending notification of his family.
Leni Fortson, a spokeswoman for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said that a preliminary investigation showed that part of the scaffolding "went vertical," causing the man to fall.
The nature of the work being performed was not immediately clear. In response to the incident, the Department of Buildings issued a stop work order at the address, 1382 Nostrand Avenue, and it is in the process of issuing violations, according to an agency spokesman.
The building and the neighboring 241 Linden Blvd. lost all but 2 of their 16 rent-stabilized apartments between 2007 and 2014, Department of Finance records suggest, and the two have a history of neglect. Former owner Lewis Alleyne was almost jailed in 2011 for failing to fix more than 500 building violations, ignoring repeated fines, court dates, and deadlines, the Daily News reported. Alleyne and his associates seem to have escaped that punishment. They sold the buildings in December 2016 to an LLC associated with broker and investor Steven Vegh for $3.7 million, city records show. But problems with the place persisted.
The building where the man fell to his death has seven open Buildings Department violations, including 3 deemed hazardous or immediately hazardous, and the two buildings combined have 71 open Department of Housing Preservation and Development violations, 18 of them immediately hazardous, records show. The HPD violations include defective stairs and windows, exposed lead paint, leaks, and a fire escape window that was screwed shut. Alleyne owes $13,405 for the open Buildings violations, which date back to 2006, and the HPD violations each carry their own potential fines.
Asked how the owners were able to get a permit for a sidewalk shed in March given all the outstanding infractions, a DOB spokesman said that in such a situation the agency only allows permits for work to address violations and protect public safety. A spokesman previously said that only work without a permit violations affect a building owner's ability to pull permits, and that a 2006 violation at the Nostrand building for plumbing done without a permit would only affect the ability to pull permits for plumbing work.
The DOB and OSHA investigations are ongoing.
In an email, Vegh wrote, "I have nothing to do with anything," and suggested I call manager Deergrow Developments. A woman who answered the phone at the company declined to comment. Asked to confirm that he was the same Steven Vegh listed on mortgage and deed documents, Vegh wrote, "I am unsure and Deergrow owns and manages the building."
This story has been updated to correct a previous misstatement by a DOB spokesman.
Tagged
construction
DOB
east flatbush
HPD
osha
scaffolding
scaffolding death
workplace safety
Nathan Tempey
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