A construction worker's legs were crushed when a seven-ton hammer came plunging down on him at a job site in Queens Wednesday, authorities say.
Fire officials on the scene said there was some sort of malfunction on a hammer that drives steel into the ground, and the hammer turned and fell.
There were two workers nearby at the time, and one was able to get out of the way but the other was pinned near his ankles, authorities said.
The extrication at the site near Queens Boulevard and 82nd Avenue in Kew Gardens was tricky, firefighters say. But the worker was alert and conscious when he was transported from the scene.
The Department of Buildings says a new municipal parking lot is being built on the site, just outside Queens Borough Hall. It says investigation is ongoing.
