The operator of excavating equipment tearing down the old Court House Restaurant on Griffing Avenue got a surprise this morning when a partial floor collapse sent the machine part way into the basement.
Riverhead Fire Marshal Craig Zitek said he was passing by when he saw the machine on its side, halfway in the basement of the building.
“I understand that it happened this morning,” Zitek said. Workers at the site told him no one was injured in the mishap.
The contractor is working to pull the equipment out and the New York State DEC has been notified to respond to make sure there are no gasoline or oil spills to deal with, Zitek said.
It was unclear who was operating the machine when it overturned or what exactly happened, the fire marshal said.
Lyle Pike, a principal in the company that owns the property, could not be reached for comment. A man who answered the phone at his business office today said he had not heard that anyone was injured in the incident.
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