A pedestrian bridge collapsed Wednesday afternoon in Washington, D.C. onto Interstate 295 southbound. The tragedy left four people hospitalized and several others injured.
Chopper footage shows the collapsed bridge blocking both directions of the highway, with the northbound side still attached to the structure. According to the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, there were no reports of people being trapped. A hazmat crew was at the scene mitigating a fuel leak from a diesel truck that was partially beneath the bridge.
This incident is similar to the Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse that occurred on March 15, 2018. That chilling bridge collapse resulted in six deaths, ten injuries and eight vehicles crushed.
Gabriela Solorzano was still a student at FIU when the bridge collapsed. Three years later, after graduating, she recalls the traumatic incident and remembers her friend who lost her life.
“She was just a normal FIU student like the rest of us and you would never think that could happen to someone that you know, so it definitely took a really big toll on me and a lot of our friends who knew her as well,” Solorzano said. “Now I drive by that street every day and it’s impossible to drive by it and just not think about it.”
As for the collapse in Washington D.C., officials are still investigating the cause.
