Crane Operator Hospitalized After Topple at Paramus Construction Site

A crane operator was hospitalized Monday morning after his equipment toppled at a construction site near the Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, police said.

Paramus police responded around 9 a.m. to the Mill Creek site, where an all-terrain crane had tipped onto its left side. The location is part of the future Modera Garden State Plaza residential development, which is planned to include 575 homes in two buildings.

The operator, a 42-year-old man from Cinnaminson, climbed out of the cab with moderate injuries, according to Police Chief Robert Guidetti. He was transported by Paramus EMS to Hackensack University Medical Center.

Guidetti said the man was performing monthly maintenance on the crane at the time, with the boom in an elevated position when the equipment overturned. A minor fuel spill occurred and was cleaned up by a towing company using absorbent materials.

The construction company notified the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration, police said. No other injuries were reported.