Downtown Los Angeles

Construction Worker Plummets 53 Stories to His Death at Downtown LA High-Rise

A construction worker on his second day on the job plummeted 53 stories to his death Thursday at a downtown Los Angeles high-rise slated to be the tallest building in the West, officials said.

The electrician fell about 12:30 p.m. at the site of the Wilshire Grand, landing on a passing car at 624 S. Figueroa St., where he was pronounced dead, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

The woman behind the wheel of the car he landed on was taken to the hospital, where she was in stable condition.

"The only thing we saw over from the window was a body laying on the floor," said witness Elsie Martinez.

The cause of the man's fall was under investigation by police and Cal/OSHA. His identity was not released because his family has not been notified of his death.

"At this time this is being investigated as a tragic workplace accident," said Sgt. Barry Montgomery of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Chris Martin, CEO of Martin Project Management, which is behind the construction of the skyscraper, said there have been no injuries since construction began at the site three years ago.

"There's safety training for every worker on the job, and certain locations there's very specialized training. These are all smart people," Martin said.

Martin did not elaborate if the man had a safety harness on when he fell.

Contact Us