3 of 13 workers hurt in casino construction accident still hospitalized

CINCINNATI - Karen Holland was at work in Lawrenceburg Friday when her phone rang.

It wasn't good news.

Her brother, Dan Stolz, who is still in serious condition, was one of the 13 people injured when a floor where concrete was being poured collapsed at the Horseshoe Casino Construction site in downtown Cincinnati.

Holland, a first responder, dropped what she was doing, picked up her father and they rushed to University Hospital.

"He's just very upset," she said of her older brother. "He just needed somebody with him."

The Holland's quickly learned that Dan wasn't badly hurt -- just a strained back and a sprained knee.

"Glad everybody's OK," she added and thanked fire/ems personnel for the job that they did.

Thirteen people were hurt in the accident. Dan Holland was one of 10 brought to University Hospital, the region's only Level One Trauma Center.

As of Friday night, eight had been released. Two were being kept overnight for observation.

The two workers taken to Good Samaritan Hospital were also released, but an injured man remained in serious condition at Bethesda North Hospital.

Karen Holland said her brother told her he didn't know what happened.

"They were working and it just started falling," she related. "He said it was very scary and just ran. That's all he could do."

University Hospital officials were ready and waiting when the first ambulances pulled into the Emergency Room parking lot.

"Most of the injuries that we've been seeing are either cuts, scrapes, lacerations, broken bones, wrists, things of that nature," said Hospital Spokesperson Diana Maria Lara. "Nothing that was considered life threatening at all."

In fact, Lara said that the 10 brought to University Hospital for treatment were in pretty good spirits.

"Most of them are actually concerned about their fellow construction workers," she said. "If I'm speaking with one of them, they're asking me how their buddy is doing in the next bay over. That's kind of nice to see that."

Many of the injured workers were employees of Jostin Concrete Construction, Inc., in Walnut Hills. Company officials and co-workers visited the injured men and then asked Lara to read a statement on their behalf.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with our workers. At the present time we cannot release any details related to the construction site and only wish to express how thankful we are to the staff at University Hospital for the excellent care they gave our employees," she said.