A 30-year-old construction worker from Morgantown was killed Tuesday morning when a heavy crane malfunctioned on Interstate 79, sending concrete barriers crashing into three workers and knocking them off a bridge deck near the Marion-Monongalia county line. Mickey W. Swisher was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities, while two coworkers were rushed to a hospital with injuries.
Troopers with the West Virginia State Police responded to the scene near Smithtown at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, as reported by WKRC. Senior Trooper N.E. McDougal handled the investigation at mile marker 142.5 on I-79, according to My Buckhannon, pinpointing the crash directly over White Day Creek Road near the county line. Swisher's next of kin were notified at the scene, per a report from WBOY.
Authorities reportedly determined that the crane malfunction caused concrete barriers to strike the three workers, knocking them off the elevated bridge deck in what was described, per the WBOY report, as an industrial accident. The two surviving workers were taken to a hospital for emergency care.
I-79 Bridge Construction
Construction work was underway on an I-79 bridge.
Federal Rules Govern Crane Inspections
Federal OSHA Penalties Federal OSHA penalty limits for 2026 allow fines exceeding $16,500 per serious citation and more than $165,000 per violation for willful or repeat infractions, per figures from CraneCheck.
The Tuesday accident involved a crane malfunction that sent concrete barriers into workers positioned high above White Day Creek. The condition of the two hospitalized workers and the precise mechanical cause of the crane malfunction remain unclear.
