MIAMI --
A construction worker was seriously injured Tuesday afternoon when he fell about 30 feet from the 112 Expressway Flyover onto the median of Interstate 95, according to Miami Fire Rescue.
Lt. Ignatius Carroll Jr. said the worker, a 32-year-old man, fell just after noon. Several people called 911 to report the fall, but conflicting reports made it difficult for firefighters and paramedics to find the man.
Two North Miami Beach police detectives who were flagged down were able to help rescuers find the injured worker.
Carroll said the man was lying on the median that separates the northbound and southbound lanes of I-95.
Investigators said the worker was crawling above the safety fencing, painting the underside of the flyover, when he fell. Carroll said he plummeted about 30 feet from the underbelly of the flyover, landing just a few feet away from traffic speeding by.
"He's very lucky because just another two feet more, he would've rolled over into the express lane and, of course, get struck by a vehicle. He wouldn't have been so lucky," Carroll said.
Authorities said they do not know what went wrong and that all the safety equipment appeared to be in place.
"He had his harness on him. The question is, was it actually connected properly?" Carroll said.
The man was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center with serious injuries. Carroll said he is expected to recover.
"A lot of people have died as a result of falls like that," Carroll said. "It definitely was not his time."
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.
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