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One worker is still hospitalized following an elevator collapse at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona. On Tuesday (January 13), an exterior construction elevator fell from the second floor of a hotel under construction, injuring five workers. Four of the injured have been released from local hospitals, while the fifth remains in stable condition at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.
The incident occurred around 4 p.m. as construction crews were removing the elevator, which had been in use for about a year as part of a $370 million expansion project at the casino. The project, known as Turning Stone Evolution, is the largest construction effort at the resort since it opened in 1993. The expansion includes a new 258-room hotel expected to open in June, and aims to make Turning Stone the largest meetings and conventions resort destination in New York.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has initiated an investigation into the accident, and the casino is also conducting its own inquiry to determine the cause of the collapse. Despite the accident, the construction timeline is not expected to be delayed.
According to Joel Barkin, a spokesperson for Turning Stone, the accident is being thoroughly investigated, and the casino is cooperating with emergency personnel. The Hayner Hoyt Corporation and the TN Ward Company are overseeing the construction project.