Worker Injured At Future Midtown Amusement Ride Site: Official

MIDTOWN, NY — Nothing amusing about this free fall.

A construction worker suffered a "major injury" after falling from a ladder at the site of a controversial Midtown building which promises to bring a nearly 300-foot-tall free-fall ride to the top of a 1,000-foot-tall tower, according to officials.

At about noon on Tuesday, a worker fell six or seven feet at 740 Eighth Ave. when his ladder was struck by a piece of equipment being hoisted by an excavator, according to FDNY and Building Department officials.

The worker suffered a "major injury," according to the fire department, and was brought to Bellevue Hospital. Buildings officials said the injured worker was in stable condition.

Buildings inspectors rushed to the site and issued a summons for a failure to institute safety measures after finding the hoisting operation was not coordinating with the rest of the crew, according to a spokesperson.

The project, a 1,067-foot-tall building be mega-developer Extell, is in its excavation phase, and has attracted attention from community groups who say the project is sneaking amusement-park style rides into Times Square by a twisting of the city's building use codes, according to a zoning challenge.

Critics fear that if this ride is built, New Yorkers can expect to see one atop every hotel accross the city.