Crane accident Chicago: Officials investigating cause of CTA station collapse

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Crews will continue to work Thursday to remove a large crane that collapsed right next to the CTA tracks at the Bryn Mawr station in Edgewater Wednesday afternoon, crushing cars and causing evacuations.

Pictures taken by residents show a large yellow piece of machinery that appears to have taken down power lines.

The Chicago Fire Department said a 200-ton capacity drill head construction crane tipped over while it was being used. CTA officials clarified the crane fell off the tracks near Bryn Mawr onto street level, into an alley and is now in a precarious position. CTA said a contractor is preparing to disassemble the crane so they can get the machinery out of the alley.

Crews are still working to remove the massive construction crane and figure out what caused this collapse.

It crushed cars and caused an evacuation in the 1100 block of West Bryn Mawr. The 18 unit residential building east of the station was evacuated and residents were allowed back inside Thursday after the building was inspected.

"We were extremely lucky," said Carolyn Milliman, an evacuated resident.

Milliman and Conor Sullivan said the wreckage crashed down no more than 20 feet from their home.

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"We just heard a big boom. And then my computer screen went dark," Sullivan said.

ComEd was on the scene, working to cut power to the utility pole as workers attempted to stabilize the crane so it can be disassembled and removed, CFD said. ComEd said at one point 101 customers were without power in the area of West Bryn Mawr and North Winthrop, but that has since been restored.

New cellphone video shows some of the chaos moments after that crane collapsed.

You can see firefighters and CTA workers assessing some of that damage.

"I'd like to know what happened," said Pat Carlson, an evacuated resident. "You know, it did not look like the most stable platform."

There were delays along the Red, Purple and Brown lines due to the disruption but service has since been restored, including stops at the Bryn Mawr station.

No injuries have been reported, according to the fire department, and one nearby business owner said he saw the operator crawl out of the crane uninjured. What caused the crane to tip is not currently known and under investigation by CTA.