Report says elevator had many defects Inspector overlooked eight deficiencies

PORTLAND – A 72-year-old elevator that crushed a Maryland boy in Bethel had eight flaws that were overlooked in a June inspection in addition to 10 deficiencies already noted, the state said Friday.

A report by the state’s chief elevator inspector said the fatal flaw was a gap between the outer door and the inner gate that was too big, allowing the boy to become wedged in between before the elevator began moving.

The report said it would have taken just two seconds for the 8-year-old victim to be crushed when the elevator moved on Aug. 23.

The elevator, installed in 1929, required occupants to manually close both the outer door and the flexible inner accordion-style gate.

The gap between the two is supposed to be no more than 4 inches, but it was actually 7 inches in violation of state code, according to the report signed by John Burpee, Maine’s chief elevator inspector.

A licensed inspector, Stephen McDuffie, failed to pick up on the problem on June 8, but he did note 10 other deficiencies that resulted in his recommendation that the elevator be denied a state certificate.

On July 19, Burpee sent a letter to the Bethel Inn that said it would have to correct the deficiencies to get an inspection certificate. The Bethel Inn had six weeks to fix the problems or to submit a request for a deadline-extension.

Burpee and another state elevator inspector, Stanley Quinn, noticed the excessive gap and seven other problems during their investigation that followed the death of Joseph Smith of Bel Air, Md.

Other problems noted by the inspectors included a failure to perform a five-year safety test and to install an alarm bell.

McDuffie did not return a message at his home.

Under state law, elevator owners are responsible for their safe operation and for hiring someone to inspect them.

Allen Connors, general manager of the Bethel Inn, could not be reached for comment on the report. William Shaffer, lawyer for the Bethel Inn, did not immediately return a message at his office.

After the accident, it was disclosed that 81 unlicensed elevator owners have failed to make state-ordered repairs and that another 185 elevators with expired licenses apparently had not been inspected for more than a year.

State inspectors cannot shut down elevators for the types of defects affecting the 81 failed elevators, but they can fine violators up to $1,500 per violation and they can ask the attorney general to prosecute the owners.