Manager of neighboring parking garage happy to be alive following Tuesday's collapse
NEW YORK -- Tuesday's parking garage collapse in Lower Manhattan has shut down several buildings in the area, including another parking garage that abuts the first structure.
CBS2 spoke with the manager of the second garage -- City Parking -- who said he left 15 minutes before the collapse.
"I was called by one of the attendants to tell me that something very, very bad happened, and then he sent me a short clip of the video. When I had the opportunity to look at it, I noticed what had happened -- three cars were crushed due to the rubble that fell from the building in the back," manager Alessy Hernandez said.
Hernandez said he is happy to be alive, because he parked two of the cars that ended up getting crushed.
At 6 a.m. on Wednesday, the Department of Buildings posted a vacate order on the City Parking Garage on Beekman, deeming it unsafe.
- Related Story: NYC parking garage collapse: Workers prepare to remove cars from rubble, demolish what's left
Hernandez was asked if he knows the workers who were killed or injured.
"All I know is that they were injured, they haven't released any other information. And that one of them has perished," he replied. "I do not know who of them it was, but no matter which one it was, it's a sad situation."
Another driver came to pick up his car Wednesday morning -- only to learn the garage was closed.
"I thought I'd be able to get my car and head back up to Utica, New York, but I guess I won't be able to," said Ross Bernston. "They were going to have it ready to go this morning, because I was going to pick it up at 7. So I guess I'm not going to have my car."
That driver asked police how to get his vehicle back. He said officers told him the plan will be to start removing the cars starting Wednesday and store them in a tow pound while they contact drivers. It could take several days.
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