On Thursday, a large portion of a construction crane fell hundreds of feet onto a bridge in downtown Fort Lauderdale, killing one and injuring three more.
Only a few cars were hit on the Southeast Third Avenue bridge during the 4:30 p.m. accident, which occurred just before rush hour. Cars were leaving the city at the time. Two cars’ front ends looked to have been severely damaged by the debris.
“This could have been a lot worse, given the number of cars and traffic backing up,” Fire Chief Stephen Gollan stated at a press conference.
One of the drivers of the damaged cars was clearly confused after surviving the crane piece falling, as seen in a video that was uploaded on X. He claimed to have seen it descend.
He assured startled onlookers, “It landed on me,” stressing he was unharmed. “It ripped off the front of my car, and I simply turned to leave.”
A construction worker lost his life while presumably working on the part of the crane that fell. It was not immediately clear who he was. According to Gollan, three more people were injured while seated in their cars, one seriously.
According to Gregory May, assistant chief of fire rescue for Fort Lauderdale, paramedics transported at least two patients in critical condition to Broward Health Medical Center. Another person managed to flee with only minor wounds.
He added that structural engineers from the Florida Department of Transportation were called in to assess the damage after the heavy metal framework also punctured a hole in a section of the bridge. He declared that the bridge would remain closed until it was deemed safe. Near the bridge, boat traffic on the New River was also suspended.
Presumably, the worker was constructing the section of the crane that collapsed when he lost his life. His identity was not immediately apparent. Gollan reports that three additional people, one critically hurt, were also sitting in their cars.
Gregory May, Fort Lauderdale’s assistant chief of fire rescue, reports that paramedics brought at least two critically ill patients to Broward Health Medical Center. Someone else was able to escape with only minor injuries.
The heavy metal framework also punctured a hole in a section of the bridge, he continued, and structural engineers from the Florida Department of Transportation were called in to evaluate the damage. He said the bridge would not open again until it was considered safe. Boat by the bridge
