Worker Injured Taking Down Decorations at Westwood Mall

A man taking down Christmas decorations at the Westwood Plaza was rushed to a hospital by helicopter after a coworker accidentally hit him with a bucket crane Thursday afternoon, according to Westwood Police Capt. Frank Durante.

Police received a call about the accident at about 3:18 p.m., Durante said. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered that a worker in a bucket crane had not seen the victim, a 27-year-old Pennsylvania resident, and accidentally lowered the bucket into the man's head. The two men were taking down Christmas decorations at the strip mall at the time of the accident.

The victim was apparently not wearing a hard hat, according to Durante. Police reported the incident to the Occupational Hazard and Safety Administration, he said.

Paramedics found the victim had suffered a serious injury to his neck, though he was alert and conscious. 

EMTs brought the man to HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley, where a medevac helicopter met them and flew the man to the main Hackensack University Medical Center.

Updates about the man's condition were not immediately available.

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