TOLEDO (WTOL) - February 16 was a dark day in Toledo history.
In 2004, four iron workers were killed and four others injured when a two-million-pound truss crane collapsed during construction of the Veterans Glass City Skyway.
The mid-afternoon stunned the city as television news images of the event brought live coverage of the aftermath into homes and businesses. The accident came as residents of the city were taking great pride in watching the steady progress of the giant construction project that was one of the largest in the state public works history.
The accident prompted a months-long delay in construction and a major investigation to find out why it had happened.
Federal investigators eventually determined that the contractor, Fru-Con failed to properly secure the truss before the collapse. Fru-Con was forced to pay out some $293,000 in fines and paid millions of dollars to settle civil lawsuits by the families of the victims.
A special park sculpture was erected near the base of the bridge in East Toledo to pay tribute to the men who lost their lives that day.
