Campus Alert Archive
UChicago

Wind Gust Topples 80-Foot Scaffold at UChicago Cancer Center Site, Killing One Worker and Critically Injuring Another

ILotheradvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On June 6, 2024, a 44 mph wind gust collapsed a scaffold at the construction site of the University of Chicago Medical Center's planned cancer pavilion at 57th Street and Maryland Avenue, sending two workers falling more than 80 feet to their deaths -- one fatally, one critically injured. The University of Chicago cAlert system issued an advisory to avoid the area of the construction site near the medical center as emergency responders worked the scene.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
1
Injured
1
Institution
University of Chicago
Private R1 · IL
~17,000 studentscAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction203 chars
UChicago cAlert: Emergency response is underway at the medical center construction site near 57th Street and Maryland Avenue. Please avoid the area. Emergency personnel are on scene. This is not a drill.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The scaffold collapse occurred shortly after 12:15 PM CDT on June 6, 2024, when a 44 mph wind gust struck the scaffold structure at the cancer pavilion construction site on the 5600 block of South Maryland Avenue.
David O'Donnell, 27, and Jeffrey Spyrka fell more than 80 feet from the scaffold. Neither was wearing a safety harness or tethered to the structure at the time of the collapse.
Winds around midday were sustained at 15-20 mph with gusts to 44 mph; the scaffold had a 3-foot corner gap bridged only by a 4-foot piece of plywood with minimal fastening and was not properly connected to the building under construction.
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction284 chars
UChicago cAlert Update: The emergency response at the medical center construction site near 57th Street and Maryland Avenue has concluded. First responders have cleared the scene. The construction site area remains restricted. Please continue to avoid the immediate construction zone.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

OSHA opened an investigation into the scaffold collapse following the fatality; Turner Construction was named as the primary contractor and Adjustable Concrete Construction as the scaffolding subcontractor.
The construction site remained closed during OSHA investigation and the legal proceedings that followed, with the University of Chicago Medical Center's cancer pavilion project significantly delayed.
The $23.5 million settlement paid to David O'Donnell's family in 2025 was among the largest construction fatality settlements in Illinois history for a single scaffold incident.
Context

Background

On June 6, 2024, a scaffold at the construction site of the University of Chicago Medical Center's planned cancer pavilion at 57th Street and Maryland Avenue collapsed in a 44 mph wind gust, sending two workers falling more than 80 feet. David O'Donnell, 27, a construction worker from the Chicago area, died from his injuries; his co-worker Jeffrey Spyrka was critically injured. Investigators found that the scaffold was dramatically inadequate for the wind conditions it encountered: it had a 3-foot corner gap bridged only with a 4-foot piece of plywood with minimal fastening, was not properly attached to the building under construction, and was described in subsequent lawsuits as incredibly deficient. Neither worker was wearing a safety harness or tethered in any way. Primary contractor Turner Construction and scaffolding subcontractor Adjustable Concrete Construction faced multiple lawsuits; in June 2025, O'Donnell's family received a $23.5 million settlement. The University of Chicago issued cAlert notifications advising the campus community to avoid the medical center construction zone while emergency responders worked the scene. The incident highlighted the distinct hazard posed by high-wind conditions at campus-adjacent high-rise construction sites in dense urban university settings.
Analysis

Key Findings

The scaffold failure was attributed to a combination of design deficiencies including an improperly connected corner section, undersized fastening, and failure to design for the wind loads specified in construction safety standards.
Neither worker was wearing a harness or tether, a safety violation that investigators and plaintiffs' attorneys cited as a primary contributing factor to the fatal outcome.
The $23.5 million settlement in 2025 established a significant legal precedent for scaffold fatalities at university-affiliated hospital construction projects in Illinois.
Outcome
Worker David O'Donnell, 27, died from injuries sustained in the fall. Co-worker Jeffrey Spyrka was critically injured. The construction site was shut down by OSHA. Turner Construction and subcontractor Adjustable Concrete Construction faced lawsuits; O'Donnell's family later settled for $23.5 million. The scaffold had been improperly connected to the building and lacked required safety harnesses.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Lawsuits Blast UChicago Cancer Site Contractors After 2 Workers Fell Over 80 Feet -- Block Club Chicago
    blockclubchicago.org
  2. News
    Family of man killed in U of C scaffolding collapse files lawsuit -- Chicago Sun-Times
    chicago.suntimes.com
  3. News
    Family of worker killed in University of Chicago construction site fall gets $23.5 million settlement -- CBS Chicago
    cbsnews.com
  4. News
    1 worker dead, another in critical condition after scaffolding collapse at U. of C. construction site -- Hyde Park Herald
    hpherald.com
Tags
scaffolding-collapseconstruction-fatalitywind-eventmedical-centerworker-deathOSHAcampus-constructionfalling-object
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion