DON'T
DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED A DEADLY CRANE ACCIDENT. THEY RETURNED TO THE SCENE TODAY --
ALONG INTERSTATE 10 -- NEAR
SMITH ROAD. DPS SAYS THE
CONSTRUCTION CRANE "DISLODGED"
THURSDAY --SMASHING A PICK UP
TRUCK -- AND KILLING TWO MEN
INSIDE. TONIGHT-- WE'RE DIGGING
DEEPER INTO THE ACCIDENT--
STARTING WITH THE VICTIMS.
THEY HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIEFD AS
"SARFA-RAZ" "KARO-WADIA" AND
ALTAF "KASO-WADIA". BOTH MEN
ARE FROM FRIENDSWOOD-- A SUBURB
OF HOUSTON. OUR SISTER STATION
IN HOSUTON REACHED OUT TO THE
FAMILY. THEY WERE TOO EMOTIONAL
TO TALK RIGHT NOW AND DID NOT
WANT TO SHARE ANY PICTURES.
NOW--- A SERIES OF
INVESTIGATIONS ARE UNDERWAY.
D-P-S IS IN CHARGE.
OSHA AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE
ALSO ASSISTING. AND TX-DOT
IS ALSO INVOLVED -- SINCE ONE OF
THEIR CONTRACTORS WAS PART OF
THE PROJECT. WE HAVE LIVE
TEAM COVERAGE TONIGHT-- TRACKING
THE LATEST.
LATISIA KAEHEY HAS BEEN DIGGING
INTRO CONSTRUCTION COMPANY-- AND
CONTRACTORS INVOLVED IN THE
PROJECT.
BUT FIRST WE TURN TO JAMES
GRANT. HE'S LIVE AT THE
SCENE OF THE CRASH TONIGHT.
JAMES-- WHAT'S THE LATEST?
LIVE INTRO: FOLLOWING
THURSDAY'S DEADLY ACCIDENT THAT
KILLED TWO HOUSTON-AREA MEN
ALONG I-10--SEVERAL AGENCIES IN
ON THE INVESTIGATION RELEASED
STATEMENTS. VO: CREWS AND INVESTIGATORS
BACK
BACK AT
BACK AT THE SCENE TODAY--AS THEY TRY AND PIECE TOGETHER WHAT HAPPENED. ACCORDING TO SARAH
DUPRE WITH TXDOT--THEY HAVE AN
ACTIVE CONTRACT WITH JOHNSON
BROTHERS CORPORATION FOR THE
I-10 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FROM
F-M 365 TO WALDEN ROAD. TXDOT
RELEASING A STATEMENT
TODAY--SAYING IN PART 'TXDOT IS
SADDENED BY THIS ACCIDENT AND
LOSS OF LIFE, AND WE OFFER OUR
MOST SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO THE
FAMILY, FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES
OF THOSE INVOLVED.' DUPRE SAYS
TXDOT WILL YIELD TO THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT TEAM CONDUCTING
INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE INCIDENT
TO PROVIDE ANY DETAILS REGARDING
THE SCENE OR SPECIFIC PARTIES
INVOLVED. TXDOT ALSO SAYS NO
CLOSURES ARE SCHEDULED ON THE
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AT THIS
TIME. ANOTHER AGENCY RELEASING
A STATEMENT FOLLOWING THURSDAY'S
TRAGIC ACCIDENT IS OSHA--THE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION. OSHA'S JUAN
RODRIGUEZ SAYING THE AGENCY IS
'IN CHARGE OF WORKPLACE SAFETY
AND HEALTH' AND IT 'MAY ISSUE
CITATIONS' IF WORKERS AT THE
SITE ARE FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED
OSHA STANDARDS PRIOR TO
THURSDAY'S DEADLY ACCIDENT. IN
RESPONSE TO TXDOT'S STATEMENT
THAT WORK WILL CONTINUE AT THE
SITE--RODRIGUEZ GOES ON TO SAY
'THE ENTIRE WORK SITE DOES NOT
NEED TO SHUT DOWN IF OSHA
INVESTIGATORS CAN SAFELY
INVESTIGATE, AND WORKERS CAN
SAFELY WORK AROUND THAT SPECIFIC
AREA IN A WORKSITE.' AS FRIENDS
AND FAMILY OF ALTAF KASOWADIA
AND SARFARAZ KAROWADIA MOURN
THEIR LOSS--SERGEANT STEPHANIE
DAVIS WITH TEXAS D-P-S SAYS THE
INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEADLY
ACCIDENT COULD TAKE SOME TIME.
LIVE TAG: WHILE SARAH DUPRE
WITH
WITH
TXDOT
TXDOT SAYS WORK WILL CONTINUE AT
THE
THE CONSTRUCTION SITE--IT'S NOT CLEAR WHEN EXACTLY IT WILL PICK BACK UP. ALONG I-10 IN JEFFERSON
COUNTY--JAMES GRANT--12NEWS.
THANK YOU JAMES. CONTINUING
OUT LIVE TEAM COVERAGE TONIGHT--
12NEWS INVESTIGATES WAS THE
FIRST TO TRACK DOWN THE
CONSTRUCTION COMPANY INVOLVED IN
THIS CRANE ACCIDENT. JOHNSON
BROTHERS/SOUTHLA ND SAYS THE
SPECIFIC CRAIN AT THE CENTER OF
SEVERAL INVESTIGATIONS DOES NOT
BELONG TO THEM.
12NEWS INVESTIGATOR LATISIA
KEAHEY IS LIVE NOW -- WITH MORE
ON WHAT SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO
UNCOVER.
JORDAN - WE KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT
OF QUESTIONS. MANY ARE
ASKING-- HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?
AND
AND WHO
AND WHO SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE? IT GET'S A LITTLE COMPLICATED-- BECAUSE
THERE ARE MULTIPLE
INVESTIGATIONS GOING ON.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW...
A TXDOT SPOKESPERSON TELLS
12NEWS THE JOHNSON BROTHERS
CORPORATION IS THE CONTRACTOR
WORKING ON THIS WIDENING
PROJECT. WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO
THAT COMPANY-- THEY TOLD US--
IT'S A SUBCONTRACT-- HEMPHILL
CONSTRUCTION-- THAT'S BEEN DOING
WORK ON THE SITE. JOHNSON
BROTHERS CORPORATION SAYS
HEMPHILL CONSTRUCTION OWNS THE
CRANE. WE DID A QUICK CHECK
ON OSHA'S WEBSITE TO SEE IF
EITHER HAD ANY MAJOR VIOLATIONS.
NEITHER COMPANY HAD ANY MAJOR
WORKPLACE SAFETY VIOLATIONS ON
THEIR RECORD.
AND THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME A
CRANE CAME CRASHING DOWN IN OUR
REGION. THIS IS VIDEO FROM
20-16. TWO PEOPLE WERE HURT
WHEN PART OF A LARGE HIGHWAY
SIGN FRAME AND CRANE DROPPED ON
THEIR CARS. IT HAPPENED ALONG
HIGHWAY 69 JUST SOUTH OF LUCAS
DRIVE. IN 2018 THE INJURED PAIR
SUED.. AND WON 4 POINT 8 MILLION
DOLLARS. CHIP FERGUSON WITH THE
FERGUSON LAW FIRM-- WAS THE
LAWYER ON THE CASE OF THIS CIVIL
SUIT AT THE TIME. HE SAYS IT'S
NOT JUST ABOUT THESE TWO
INCIDENCES.. IT'S ABOUT ALL OF
US AS A COMMUNITY... HIS SELF
INCLUDED.
MY PERSONAL REACTION AS A
LAWYER IS THE SAME AS I HAVE AS
A CITIZEN OF THE COMMUNITY...
WHAT A HORRIFIC LOSS.. ITS A
LITTLE SCARY... 30 MINUTES
BEFORE THAT CRANE FELL OVER I
PERSONALLY DROVE THAT SAME
ROUTE.
ROUTE.
AND
AND IT
AND IT IS
AND IT IS SCARY TO THINK THAT IT COULD BE ANY ONE OF US... EVEN WHEN IT COULD BE OUT OF
ANYONES CONTROL. ACCORDING TO
CRANE SPECIALIST LARRY
DUNVILLE.. IT COULD BE WEATHER
RELATED.. THE SLIGHTEST CHANGE
IN GROUNDING DUE TO WEATHER
COULD CAUSE THE CRANE TO SIT
UNEVENLY AND TOPPLE.
WE REACHED OUT TO HEMPHILL
CONSTRUCTION -- THE SUBCONTACT
THAT OWNS THE CRANE. THE NUMBER
TO THE OFFICE WAS DISCONNECTED.
WE ALSO TRIED TO REACH THEM
THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA... AND HAVE
NOT HEARD BACK..... LATISIA
KEAHEY 12NEWS INVESTIGATES.
12NEWS
12NEWS HAS BEEN BREAKING DETAILS ON THIS STORY SINCE IT HAPPENED. AND WE'LL STAY ON TOP
OF ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS --
TONIGHT AND THIS WEEKEND --
INSIDE THE 12NEWS NOW APP!
PAUSE OPEN