Crime & Safety

Operator of Collapsed Stamford Crane Charged

The operator of a crane that collapsed earlier this month at the Stamford Marina in Avalon Bay has formally been charged in the incident, state police announced Wednesday. 

At approximately 9:40 a.m. on June 14, police said Richard Dufresne of Poughquag, NY, was on a barge operating a crane owned by Nicholas Concavage of Port Chester, NY, when the crane began to list during an attempted lift and subsequently toppled into the water. 

There were no injuries in the collapse. 

Police said an investigation revealed Dufresne was not licensed to operate a crane and that the crane was unregistered to Concavage Marine Construction, the company that owns the crane. Concavage were instructed to cease and desist all operations until they satisfied the requirement of the CT Crane Regulations. 

Charges are pending in that incident, according to police. However, upon arrival by state troopers from the CT State Police, Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit to the location Wednesday, Dufresne was observed operating a different crane, police said. 

Police said this crane was also not properly registered and Dufresne had still not obtained a valid Crane Operators License.

Dufresne was taken into custody and charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, operating an unregistered crane and operating a crane without a license. He was held in lieu of $1,500 bond. A court date was set of June 28, 2013. 

The crane was also involved in a May 22, 2013, accident at the same location. An investigation into those circumstances remains ongoing. 


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