Skip to content
NOWCAST WISN 12 News This Morning
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Did a snowplow mistake contribute to the collapsed parking lot in Bayshore?

Bayshore contracts with West Allis-based Winter Services for snow removal

Did a snowplow mistake contribute to the collapsed parking lot in Bayshore?

Bayshore contracts with West Allis-based Winter Services for snow removal

BAYSHORE MALL SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM THURSDAY SHOWS SNOWPLOWS ONE MINUTE PUSHING SNOW, PILING IT IN ONE SPOT ATOP THE PARKING STRUCTURE. THE NEXT, IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN. MOUNDS OF CONCRETE CRUSHING CARS, THE CREWS IN THE SKID STEERS WORK FOR WINTER SERVICES. TUESDAY WE WENT TO THE WEST ALLIS BUSINESS TO FIND OUT WHO TOLD CREWS TO PUT THE SNOW THERE. >> CAN WE TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AT BAYSHORE? >> ARE WE FILMING RIGHT NOW? REPORTER: THE SALES PERSON AT THE DOOR WOULDN’T LET US TALK TO A SUPERVISOR AND WOULDN’T ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COLLAPSE AT BAYSHORE. BUT 12 NEWS HAS LEARNED THE COMPANY’S GENERAL PRACTICE IS TO FOLLOW CUSTOMER DIRECTIONS WHICH IS THE COMMON WAY OF DOING BUSINESS IN THE SNOWPLOW INDUSTRY. >> THAT’S THE WORST SPOT YOU COULD HAVE PLACED IT. IT’S THE ONLY AREA THAT HAS ZERO SUPPORT. REPORTER: AND JAMES HOFFMANN WOULD KNOW, HE SPENT A DECADE REMOVING SNOW AT BAYSHORE, AS THE PREVIOUS CONTRACTOR AT THE STRUCTURE. >> WE HAD EXTENSIVE MEETINGS ON WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO. REPORTER: WHERE DID YOU PUT THE SNOW? >> WE WOULD PLACE IT ALONG ALL THE EXTERIOR WALLS, SPECIFICALLY THIS SIDE BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO DUMP IT AND HAUL IT OFF. REPORTER: HE SAYS FOLLOWING ORDERS IS ONE THING, GOING AGAINST BETTER JUDGMENT IS ANOTHER. >> WHAT ARE THE FACTORS YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER? HOFFMAN SAYS HE BELIEVES THERE’S ONLY ONE EXPLANATION. >> NEGLIGENCE, IT’S FAULT OF A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYBODY, CONTRACTORS SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER BECAUSE IF THEY DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO PLOW A STRUCTURE THEY SHOULD HAVE FOUND OUT. BAYSHORE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN TOP OF IT, AND SAID HEY, YOU’RE PILING IT IN THE WRONG LOCATION. REPORTER: THIS WAS AVOIDABLE? >> ABSOLUTELY. >> YOU ASKED BAYSHORE ABOUT THEIR SNOWPLOW INSTRUCTIONS? WE ASKED THE TEXAS-BASED OWNER WHAT WERE THEIR INSTRUCTIONS FOR SNOW REMOVAL, BUT THEY HAVE YET TO REPLY TO US. WE KNOW BAYSHORE HAS BROUGHT IN A PRIVATE ENGINEERING FIRM TO DETERM
Advertisement
Did a snowplow mistake contribute to the collapsed parking lot in Bayshore?

Bayshore contracts with West Allis-based Winter Services for snow removal

Bayshore surveillance video from atop the Silver Spring parking structure shows crews from Winter Services Thursday piling snow onto the ramp.Moments later, a lower-level camera captures the collapse. Mounds of concrete crushed cars and trapped dozens of others. Somehow, not a single person was hurt in the devastation.Tuesday, WISN 12 News went to the West Allis business to find out who told crews to put the snow there.A salesperson greeted WISN 12 News at the door. Here is the exchange."Can we talk to you about what happened at Bayshore?" WISN 12 News' Hillary Mintz asked."Are we filming right now?" the employee asked.The salesperson at the door wouldn't let WISN 12 News talk to a supervisor and wouldn't answer questions about the collapse at Bayshore.But WISN 12 News has learned the company's general practice is to follow customer directions which is the common way of doing business in the snowplow industry."That's the worst spot you could have placed it. It's the only area that has zero support," James Hoffmann, with The MCR Group, told WISN 12 News Tuesday.His company was the previous snow removal contractor for Bayshore. Hoffmann says they never piled snow in one spot."We would place it along all the exterior walls, specifically this side because we would have to dump it and haul it off," Hoffmann said.Hoffmann said they do take customer directives to an extent, but also rely on expertise to use their best judgement especially when it comes to upper-level parking structures.He said weight is a huge factor when considering where to pile snow and given the aftermath Hoffmann can point to only one explanation."Negligence, it's fault of a little bit of everybody, contractors should have known better because if they didn't know how to plow a structure they should have found out. Bayshore should have been on top of it, and said 'Hey, you're piling it in the wrong location,'" Hoffmann said.WISN 12 News asked Bayshore for their snow removal plans and if they told Winter Services to pile the snow in one spot on the ramp. The Texas-based owner has not replied to that question.WISN 12 News knows Bayshore has brought in a private engineering firm to determine if anything else structurally failed.This week, crews said they would be installing a temporary ramp to remove vehicles trapped on the second and third floors. No one was hurt in the collapse.

Bayshore surveillance video from atop the Silver Spring parking structure shows crews from Winter Services Thursday piling snow onto the ramp.

Moments later, a lower-level camera captures the collapse.

Advertisement

Mounds of concrete crushed cars and trapped dozens of others. Somehow, not a single person was hurt in the devastation.

Tuesday, WISN 12 News went to the West Allis business to find out who told crews to put the snow there.

A salesperson greeted WISN 12 News at the door. Here is the exchange.

"Can we talk to you about what happened at Bayshore?" WISN 12 News' Hillary Mintz asked.

"Are we filming right now?" the employee asked.

The salesperson at the door wouldn't let WISN 12 News talk to a supervisor and wouldn't answer questions about the collapse at Bayshore.

But WISN 12 News has learned the company's general practice is to follow customer directions which is the common way of doing business in the snowplow industry.

"That's the worst spot you could have placed it. It's the only area that has zero support," James Hoffmann, with The MCR Group, told WISN 12 News Tuesday.

His company was the previous snow removal contractor for Bayshore. Hoffmann says they never piled snow in one spot.

"We would place it along all the exterior walls, specifically this side because we would have to dump it and haul it off," Hoffmann said.

Hoffmann said they do take customer directives to an extent, but also rely on expertise to use their best judgement especially when it comes to upper-level parking structures.

He said weight is a huge factor when considering where to pile snow and given the aftermath Hoffmann can point to only one explanation.

"Negligence, it's fault of a little bit of everybody, contractors should have known better because if they didn't know how to plow a structure they should have found out. Bayshore should have been on top of it, and said 'Hey, you're piling it in the wrong location,'" Hoffmann said.

WISN 12 News asked Bayshore for their snow removal plans and if they told Winter Services to pile the snow in one spot on the ramp. The Texas-based owner has not replied to that question.

WISN 12 News knows Bayshore has brought in a private engineering firm to determine if anything else structurally failed.

This week, crews said they would be installing a temporary ramp to remove vehicles trapped on the second and third floors. No one was hurt in the collapse.