You may well have seen TV news statewide of a structure collapse on a highway construction project up here in Butte County on Hwy 149, between Oroville and Chico. The early Wednesday morning accident was a result of a collapsing heavy-steel structure that would support the forms to pour concrete upon for a new overcrossing where 70 meets 149. It was not a collapse of an actual overcrossing as first reported [or even hyped], nor just a scaffolding for personnel to work from.
A Fed Ex truck was struck by the falling steel girders, 3000 lbs each or more, as the driver was proceeding north. He was trapped for 3 hours as safety personnel worked to extract him, pinned under wreckage held down by the steel I-beams. The happy ending for him was only an ankle sprain, some cuts and bruises and a harrowing experience. He is already at home tonight with his family.
A construction worker atop the collapsing structure, rode it 50 feet down and he suffered several broken bones and is still hospitalized in serious condition.
A third injury a few minutes later, was to a woman who drove upon the scene and rearended a parked CalTrans vehicle and broke both legs. She is hospitalized in the most serious condition of all three.
149 has been closed all day and will be until at least Thursday morning as I see through my kitchen window now the night light glow from where crews are clearing the road, 6 miles from here as the crow flies.