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'John' saved lives as crane fell

Nov 26, 2007 | Staff | The Enquirer

On any given day - and several times during a typical day - a man known only as John walks into the 1132 Bar at Race and 12th streets, takes a seat and drinks.

No one knows where John will be Thursday. His watering hole is closed for the holiday.

Diana Stevens went looking for him Wednesday, describing him as a hero who probably saved lives when an 80-foot boom crashed to the ground.

Inside the 1132 Bar, she described what he was wearing: blue jeans and a brown T-shirt with some sort of squiggle design. She described what he looked like: black about 5 feet 6 inches tall and between 30 and 40.

She described what he had done.

At 8:45 a.m., John raced from the bar screaming at the top of his lungs for people to move out of the way as the boom, part of a larger tower crane, toppled over on the busy corner street at Washington Park.

"It was a freak accident and I believe he saved everybody's life," said Stevens, 32 a construction worker at the under-construction School for the Creative and Performing Arts.

A bar employee said John had been sitting near the window.

Stevens heard the panic and urgency in John's voice, looked up and saw the boom as it took down utility lines, a phone booth and crushed an unoccupied green sport utility vehicle.

"It was like God was having him sit there and look up. It all happened so fast and he could have been scared like everyone else, but instead he went into warning mode and that is a very noble thing to do."

A portable crane was moving the boom to the tower crane when it fell over. Others also listened to John and scattered as the boom came down.

No one was injured.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.
For today and at least through the weekend, work at the 4-acre construction site, the new $72 million home of SCPA, will come to a halt.

By early next week, a replacement boom should be available to complete the 6½ -story royal blue tower crane that sits in the excavated site of the future school.

Washington Park draws droves of people each day. Lately more and more people have spilled into the area because of the nice weather and to watch the tower crane going up.

The boom landed just feet from where many people typically pass away the time. About 20 workers were also on the construction site, said Russ Alford, the project executive for the project.

"There is no doubt about it, Lady Luck was on our side," said Lt. Tom Lanter, of the Cincinnati Police Department.

Dozens of police, fire and utility workers spilled into the nearby streets after the morning accident.

"Lord, it was like a sonic boom," said C. Pruitt, 72, who was nearby.

Pruitt said he saw the driver of the green SUV pull up onto 12th street and its owner feed the meter about 10 minutes before the accident. He said the driver walked to the rear of the truck and pulled out a hard hat.

"I stood there and watched him," Pruitt said. "He hadn't been there more than 10 or 15 minutes."

Tom Banks, a homeless man, said he's been sitting on the concrete wall around the park for as long as he can remember. From his perch, he has seen stabbings, shootings and vehicle accidents.

Wednesday topped them all.

"I crushed my beer," he said of his impulse to tighten his hands around his Old Milwaukee Light as the portable crane fell over and the boom came down. "I might not be sitting here no more after that. That cost me a $2 can of beer."

The sight of the downed crane and boom even captured the imagination of police. Many of them pulled out camera phones to record the moment.

Everyone appeared especially stunned that no one was injured.

"I think God works in mysterious ways," said Stevens, the construction worker. "...
There wasn't even a scratch on one person and that is just tremendous. That man (John) made sure everyone was going to be safe for Thanksgiving."

When Stevens returns to the construction site sometime next week, she said she'll keep an eye open for John.

And maybe, like she tried to do without success Wednesday, she'll be able to buy John a much deserved drink.

"I'll remember his face when I cross his path," Stevens said.