Around 1 pm on Wednesday, a crane operator installing a modular home on Madison Street in Oak Bluffs offset the balance of his machine, causing the crane to topple over and smash the modular home. The operator was unharmed.
Brenda Mastromonaco was sitting on her front lawn enjoying the afternoon when she heard a loud noise and saw a cloud of dust rise up from the lot across the street.
“It was scary to watch,” Ms. Mastromonaco said about 15 minutes after the accident. “My heart is racing.”
Homeowner William Bryan of Oak Bluffs was on the scene, standing in the sweltering heat watching the setting of the house, when it happened. “The first section was set and fine when the crane let loose,” he said.
The jib of the crane smashed through the home and the foundation. It is not clear if any of the house is salvageable.
The Times spoke with Jane Baxter of Baxter Crane and Rigging in Yarmouth after the accident. Ms. Baxter could not confirm the name of the crane operator but said he was an employee of her company. Ms. Baxter also said a representative from the company flew over to the Vineyard to assess the site.
“Now I have to go explain this to my wife,” Mr. Bryan said.
