Heavy Crane Topples Near Mall, Injuring Operator, Spilling Fuel

PARAMUS, NJ — A crane operator was hospitalized Monday after his crane toppled near the Garden State Plaza mall, police said.

Around 9 a.m., Paramus Police Officer Don Liu responded to a report of an all-terrain crane that had tipped onto its left side at the Mill Creek construction site near the mall, said police.

The site is part of the future Modera Garden State Plaza residential development near the mall, which will include 575 homes in two buildings.

The crane operator, a 42-year-old man from Cinnaminson, was able to climb out of the crane’s cab but had moderate injuries, said Police Chief Robert Guidetti.

He was taken by Paramus EMS to Hackensack University Medical Center.

The man was performing monthly maintenance on the crane, Guidetti said. The crane’s boom was elevated when the equipment tipped over.

A minor fuel spill occurred and was cleaned up by a towing company, using absorbent materials, police said.

The construction company contacted the state's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.