OSAKA -- A 3-year-old boy was in critical condition August 4 after a crane toppled over and knocked down a utility pole onto a car he was in, police said.
The crane, which was being used in the construction of a high school swimming pool in Higashi-Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, crashed into the school's walls at around 10 a.m., knocking down six utility poles, police said. The accident injured Kazuteru Hibi and his father, Masaharu, 35, who were in a car waiting at a nearby traffic light, police said.
The boy suffered a skull fracture, while his father sustained facial injuries, they said. The accident also knocked out power to traffic lights and 160 households in the area.
The crane was being used to reinforce the ground for construction of a swimming pool at the Joto Technical Senior High School, according to police. It began swaying at around 9:30 a.m., snagging electric cables in its arms before it rolled over 30 minutes later.