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Cause of deadly Manhattan crane collapse under investigation

NEW YORK - Officials are working to determine why a huge construction crane that was being lowered during strong winds came crashing down onto a Manhattan street, killing a pedestrian and crushing a row of parked cars. Three other people were hurt by debris, two of them seriously.

NEW YORK - Officials are working to determine why a huge construction crane that was being lowered during strong winds came crashing down onto a Manhattan street, killing a pedestrian and crushing a row of parked cars. Three other people were hurt by debris, two of them seriously.

But city officials said it could have been much worse. Mayor Bill de Blasio said a construction crew was directing people away from the area as the crane was being lowered Friday.

The mobile crane's boom landed across an intersection, smashed several car roofs, and stretched much of a block after the accident at a historic building about 10 blocks north of the World Trade Center.

Wall Street worker David Wichs was killed in the collapse. The Czech immigrant was a math whiz who worked at a computerized trading firm, his family said.

Officials have not yet determined why the crane fell.