Construction worker dies after falling 53 stories from Los Angeles high-rise

On Thursday, a construction worker died after falling from the 53rd floor of the Wilshire Grand Center in the Financial District of downtown Los Angeles.

The unidentified man apparently hit the back of a car as it drove down the street, and a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Fire Department said the woman inside the vehicle was not injured. A Cal/OSHA spokeswoman said the man was an electrician, and the worksite will be closed for two days so OSHA can conduct an investigation. Officials did not say if the man was wearing a safety harness. The 53rd floor does not have any windows, the Los Angeles Times reports, but does have an 8-foot-high "integrity fence," a metal barrier that is supposed to keep people and items from falling out. This was the first serious injury to take place at the site during construction.

When completed next year, the $1.2 billion mixed-use office and hotel project will be the tallest building on the West Coast, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman said. The 1,100-foot Wilshire Grand Center is being developed by Korean Air, and will be topped with a sky lobby featuring sweeping views of Los Angeles.

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