Worker jumps for his life as train crashes into boom lift during Michigan bridge repairs

Updated Aug 3, 2015

An Amtrak train stopped on the tracks in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after colliding with a boom lift beneath a bridge undergoing repairs. Photo Credit: MLive.com

A construction worker in Michigan was recently forced to jump for his life from the boom lift he was working on moments before an Amtrak train collided with the machine.

According to a report from Mlive.com, an Amtrak train approaching Ann Arbor for a station dedication event collided with the lift beneath the Fuller Road bridge.

Crews are performing preventative maintenance on the bridge and a worker was positioned atop the lift shortly before 2 p.m. July 23 when the train approached.

The train blew its horn and attempted to slow down to give the lift time to clear the tracks, but the incident happened so fast the worker was forced to jump from the lift.

The worker was uninjured in the tumble and the train was not seriously damaged by the collision. It’s unclear why the train and crew were unaware of each other’s use of the stretch of track.

No passengers were aboard the train as the event it was traveling to was a dedication of a new disability-accessible platform, MLive reports.

Crews are expected to be done with repairs to the bridge in mid-September. Work includes “expansion joint replacement, pin and hanger replacement, concrete patching and brush removal,” the site reports.