Emergency crews hung sheets to shield passersby from the sight of the worker who was killed Friday in a construction accident in New York City.

Officials say the boom-crane accident occurred in Midtown before noon, when the truck operator unloading a flatbed was crushed. According to news sources, the 40-year-old victim was caught between the knuckle boom and the flatbed. First responders raised the boom with jacks in order to extricate the victim.

A stopwork order was issued for the project and an accident investigation was begun by the city’s Department of Buildings. There was no immediate word on the cause of the accident.

Pedestrians at risk, too

Workers aren’t the only ones in danger from New York construction projects. A report issued recently found that pedestrians near worksites are injured by falling bricks, hammers or glass near at least once a month in the city.

Department of Buildings’ statistics showed 18 construction accidents involving pedestrians in 2014 – the highest number since 2008.

A giant flying blade

Last October, a giant saw blade flew through the air in Hell’s Kitchen, injuring a woman on the street. Last month, 37-year-old Tina Nguyen was killed in the West Village by a piece of plywood from a condo construction site.

There’s been speculation that contractors are cutting corners on safety in order to reduce costs.