On Tuesday afternoon at 1:38 pm, construction crews were working on a new building at Geneva Foreign & Sports located at 2787 State Route 14 North in the Town of Geneva when the 60’x150′ pole barn-type structure collapsed. Two employees were trapped under the structure.
According to the Ontario County Sheriff’s Department, two employees of Seneca Building Co. were operating a man lift outside of the structure and the lift basket was struck as the building collapsed.
62-year-old David M. Fitzgerald was inside the structure and 35-year-old Joseph R. Gravitte was in the man lift when the building collapsed. Both were transported to Strong Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Two other construction workers at the site were uninjured.
The national weather service reported a 45 mph wind gust moving through the area around the time of the collapse. According to police, wind does appear to be a contributing factor.
Ontario County Sheriff Deputies were assisted by Geneva City Police and Ontario County Office of Emergency Management. City of Geneva, Northside, Border City and Oaks Corners Fire Departments responded to the scene along with Finger Lakes Ambulance.
The Town of Geneva Code Enforcement and OSHA also responded to the site.
The full cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
ORIGINAL REPORT @ 2:54 pm:
Emergency personnel responded to Geneva Foreign & Sports used auto dealership at 2787 Lyons Road in Geneva shortly after 2:00 pm on Tuesday after a building collapse was reported. Two individuals were trapped inside the building with injuries and have been rescued. We do not have a report on the extent of the injuries to the two individuals who were inside the structure when it collapsed.
FingerLakes1.com will post more information here on this incident as it becomes available.
