Crane topples onto Orlando home, slicing roof

A crane toppled onto a home that was undergoing roof repairs in Orlando’s Baldwin Park development.

Video recorded by Skywitness 9 showed that the large crane, which was hauling shingles, had fallen and split the roof of a home on Lower Park Road.

The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

“I’m thinking, I’m glad it’s not my house,” said Eric Sorrensen, who lives in the neighborhood. “I hope they get some tarps up there before the rain comes in – it’s only going to get worse for them.”

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No one was home at the time of the incident.

"It just fell," witness Greg Fogleman said. "The cut went through that roof like a hot knife through butter."

The roofing company said a shingle supplier hired the crane to load the new shingles onto the roof, but the supports that secure the crane were not adequately set and one sank into the ground.

The last of four pallets of shingles were being unloaded when the crane toppled, narrowly missing one of the roofers.

"In this neighborhood, there are no driveways," said Trevor Switzer, of Gold Key Roofing. "There's an alleyway in the back, which isn't big enough for a conveyor truck or any other machinery. So the only way to get (the shingles) onto the roof is by crane or handload, which is dangerous."

The homeowner, who has lived at the home for three years, told Channel 9 that she made arrangements to stay elsewhere. It's unknown how long it will take to repair the home.

It took hours for two additional cranes to remove the fallen crane from the large home.

Firefighters said no one was injured. They said they contacted code enforcement officials.

A structural engineer is expected to evaluate the home Wednesday.

RAW VIDEO FROM SKYWITNESS 9:

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