One killed when construction crane collapses in Bellevue

BELLEVUE, Wash. - One person was killed when a construction crane collapsed Thursday night at about 7:45 p.m. in downtown Bellevue on 180th Avenue NE near NE 4th Street.

The west side of Pinnacle Bell Centre Apartments was torn away when the crane came down.

The dead person was found in the top floor of the apartment building, Bellevue Fire Department Lt. Bruce Kroon said.

The top floor of the Pinnacle Bell Centre Apartments was crushed and the building immediately next to the crane was damaged extensively, Kroon said.

The crane also hit at least two other buildings – the Civica Office Commons and Plaza 305.

Rescue teams made an extensive search of the area. Their biggest concern was Plaza 305 where two stories completely collapsed and the first floor and basement are seriously damaged.

The crane fell several feet from The Melting Pot restaurant, which was full of diners at the time. Everyone was evacuated and no one inside or outside the restaurant was hurt.

It wasn't immediately known whether additional people were hurt. Officers were going to door to door to check on people, but hadn't been able to get into one building because of damage, Kroon said.

The crane's operator was also hurt but reportedly was going to be OK, police spokesman Greg Grannis said.

Firefighters used a ladder to retrieve the operator from about 20 to 30 feet above the ground, but he was able to pull himself out of the cage, Kroon said. He was taken to nearby Overlake Hospital.

The crane operator told the fire department he was getting ready to shut down for the night, when he heard a crack and the crane went down, striking four buildings, Kroon said.

The crane was working on 333 Bellevue Tower, which is an office building that has been vacant for a few years, Kroon said.

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/292873_victim18.html

The Victim: Friends mourn man 'enthusiastic for life'
Saturday, November 18, 2006

By CLAUDIA ROWE
P-I REPORTER

During less than six months in the Seattle area, Matthew Ammon had such an effect that his co-workers at Microsoft, reeling at the young man's sudden death, described him in the same terms as those who had known the young patent lawyer for years.

"Hugely enthusiastic," said one after another. A bright spot.

Ammon
The 31-year-old, who moved here in June at the behest of Microsoft's legal team, died from rib, pelvis and other fractures Thursday when a crane crashed into his Bellevue apartment building. Reached at home in Texas, Ammon's father, who had learned shortly before of his son's death, was too distraught to comment.But in photographs, online postings and interviews, a picture emerged of a man who grabbed life with gusto -- a race-car hobbyist who eagerly offered help to other automotive fans, and approached his work as a lawyer with equal zeal.

Born in Pittsburgh, Ammon received his bachelor's degree in computer science from Bethany College in West Virginia, and went on to earn a law degree from Duquesne University, concentrating on patent law.

He spent the next seven years moving into increasingly high-powered positions -- from firms in Pittsburgh to Austin, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Kansas City, Mo., -- before signing on with the legal division at Microsoft.

Back in Kansas City, where Ammon last worked at the intellectual property law firm Shook Hardy & Bacon, former colleagues were so upset at the news that many left the office early. Friends from the Audi Car Club grasped for ways to connect and commiserate.

For those who knew him, the young man's verve for life made the suddenness of his death all the more stunning.

"It's an incredibly tough day around here today," said Mike Gross, chairman of the intellectual property section at Shook Hardy & Bacon. "Just absolutely devastating. He was a fascinating guy -- enthusiastic for life. That's the one word to describe him."

In two years at the firm, Ammon made himself so indispensable as a Microsoft patent lawyer that Gross had shuddered to think of his leaving.

Apparently, Ammon knew it, and with typical wry humor long ago e-mailed the older lawyer with news that he was moving to a new office.

"It practically gave me a heart attack," Gross said.

"I thought he was leaving the firm. But he was just messing with me. He was going up one floor."

It surprised no one, however, when Ammon's contacts in Redmond finally did offer the fast-rising lawyer a position in the Northwest. To those who knew him, it seemed a no-brainer. Ammon loved the outdoors -- mountain biking, in particular -- and his taste for intellectual innovation made him an obvious match for the world's largest technology corporation.

"We were thrilled his past year when we were able to persuade him," said Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel at Microsoft. Though Ammon had been on campus only a short time, Smith added, "the impression he made was both a deep and lasting one."

P-I reporter Claudia Rowe can be reached at 206-448-8320 or claudiarowe@seattlepi.com.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.