Man rescued from Howell, NJ trench using a crane

🔴 The man fell into a trench at a road project on Church Road in Howell

🔴 A crane operator pulled the man out

🔴 A man fell up to his shoulders into a Howell trench in July

HOWELL — A man was rescued using a crane after falling 20 feet into a trench at a bridge project Tuesday afternoon.

Howell police Lt. Peter Kuppler said a 66-year-old Bridgewater man working at a bridge replacement project on Church Road at the Jackson border fell 20 feet and suffered moderate injuries. After Howell First Aid stabilized the man using ladders, a specialized team from the Asbury Park fire department was called to the site.

Working with the construction company's crane operator, the man was hoisted out of the trench. He was taken by ambulance to Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

Incident at a county project

OSHA spokeswoman Joanna Hawkins told New Jersey 101.5 that the agency is investigating the incident.

Church Road has been closed since January for a $2.9 million county project to replace a deteriorating bridge at Bethel Church Road.

A worker at a project to dig footing for a deck on Carmine Way in Howell was buried up to his shoulders after falling into a trench in July. He was rescued after several hours. The first responding officers used construction debris from the scene to shield the man's face from any other dirt that may collapse around him.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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