A construction elevator at an office building under construction began speeding upwards uncontrollably. It struck the top of the hoistway at about 65 miles an hour. Two of the occupants were killed and three others survived with severe injuries.

A driveshaft in the gearbox had broken and there was no safety device to prevent overspeeding in an upward direction. There was no deceleration device inside the car which could have been operated by the occupants.

The hoist did not conform to requirements and had not been tested before being used.

Elevating devices must conform to standards, be tested before use and inspected regularly. Inspection and maintenance should be recorded in a logbook.