New Jersey Worker Hospitalized After Fall Off Bridge

A construction worker was hospitalized after he fell off a bridge in northern New Jersey.

The Star-Ledger reports that the accident on the Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City occurred around 9:30 a.m. Sunday, as workers were doing preparatory work for a major rehabilitation project. The crews were installing temporary shielding meant to catch falling tools or bridge debris.

Officials told the newspaper that 29-year-old Thiago Santos of Newark fell about 20 feet and apparently landed on his feet on a ramp leading to the skyway, which was closed at the time.

They said Santos was in an “extreme amount of pain” after his fall but did not suffer any broken bones. His injuries were not considered life threatening, but further details were not disclosed.

It wasn’t clear what caused the accident.

The Jersey Journal reports that Santos was “talkative” with hospital staff and was listed in stable condition at Jersey City Medical Center. Hospital spokesman Mark Rabson told the newspaper that paramedics and emergency responders helped stabilize the worker’s movements after he fell and “carefully immobilized him.”

Rabson said Santos had undergone “a battery of tests” and remained under observation.

Santos is employed by a subcontractor working on the project. The bridge work is part of a $1 billion project to completely rehabilitate the aging skyway.

The northbound lanes will be closed for up to two years once work begins to replace the skyway’s decks. State officials say the project should begin in earnest in the coming months.