Three companies have been fined for the Seattle crane collapse that killed four people in April after Washington state investigators found that the accident was “totally avoidable.” Officials found that workers failed to follow manufacturer instructions when they removed pins holding together different sections of the crane, allowing a gust of wind to topple the structure over onto the traffic below. “The incident that occurred was totally avoidable,” said director of the Department of Labor Joel Sacks. “If the companies on site had followed the rules, the crane would not have fallen.” The supplier of the crane was fined $70,000, the general contractor $25,000 and the construction crew $12,000. Daughters of Alan Justad, a 71-year-old man who died in the accident, said in a joint statement: “There is no acceptable reason for why our beloved father is not with us today... Corners were recklessly cut and as a result, four lives were lost. We will carry this tragedy with us forever.”
