Downtown Richmond street closed for man ill atop construction crane

A two-block stretch of a downtown Richmond street was closed late this morning after an employee at a construction site became ill while in the control booth of a crane 190 feet off the ground.

Richmond Fire & EMS Lt. Robbie Hagaman said authorities closed Jackson Street at 11 a.m. between Fifth and Seventh streets after getting the call for the stricken man in the crane at Fifth and Jackson.

“Originally it was thought to be chest pains,” Hagaman said, “but we’re not exactly sure what’s up.”

Hagaman said firefighters planned to assess the man’s condition to see if he could come down on his own, and if not, they would arrange to have him transported down to the street.

The man was with coworkers in the control booth when he became ill, Hagaman said.