No injuries as debris causes scaffold collapse in Rockville Centre

Workers demolishing the vacant Smith Barney and Sylvia's Corset buildings on Merrick Road on July 14 accidentally sent a brick wall toppling into scaffolding, partially collapsing it. No one was injured and there was minimal damage at the construction site, the future home of a TD Bank branch.

"The scaffolding did what scaffolding is supposed to do, which is to prevent any building material during demolition from getting onto the sidewalk and street and endangering the public," said village spokesman Jeff Kluewer.

Part of a wall and construction debris fell onto the scaffold, which prevented them from hitting the ground, Kluewer said. He estimated that a 15- to 20-foot section of the wall fell onto the plywood atop the piping structure that holds the scaffold together. An adjacent village light pole snapped as the debris fell.

Village administrators, emergency workers and building department inspectors rushed to the scene. Merrick Road, between South Park Avenue and Morris Avenue, was closed for approximately 20 minutes as workers cleared the area, and then two lanes reopened.

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