An OSHA investigation revealed that the crane was operating with fully retracted outriggers, conditions under which the crane operator had never worked, and that the crane was incorrectly set up.

The smashed crane hit the bottom of Lucky Peak Reservoir after falling off High Bridge, about 17 miles north of Boise on Idaho 21.

The operator of the crane was able to jump out of the rig to safety as it fell, but a worker standing on the road next to the crane was pinned between the rig and the guardrail before the truck and crane assembly went over the edge.