Crane Workers Escaped Death by Oversleeping

Richard Moule and Nicki Biagioni were late for work yesterday, and it probably saved their lives. The two men are crane drivers, and they should have been atop the London crane that got hit by a helicopter. Instead, both overslept and were still on their way to work when the accident, which killed the helicopter pilot and a man on the ground, occurred. "It was the first time I’ve been late since starting this job three years ago. I just woke up late. Call it divine intervention if you like," Moule tells the Daily Mail.

Biagioni’s wife has a similar story: "He overslept this morning, something he never does and was late for work. He was not up the crane when it hit. I thank his guardian angel." Moule says he was supposed to be in the crane cab by 7am, but was instead in the basement preparing to ascend when the accident happened at 8am. Biagioni, the main crane operator, was also more than an hour late and was parking at the time. Investigators are still looking into the accident, including reports that a light atop the crane may not have been working. (More crane accident stories.)