A Baltimore Uber driver narrowly avoided disaster when she was stopped from crossing the Francis Scott Key Bridge by a police officer. The driver, Gayle Fairman, had received a call to pick up a passenger and drop them off across the bridge. However, the passenger’s delay in coming out to the car potentially saved their lives, as the bridge collapsed shortly after they would have been on it. Fairman was at the front of the line to cross the bridge when she was informed by the officer that it had collapsed, although she did not see or hear the actual collapse due to the darkness and her radio being on.
The collapse of the bridge was caused by a cargo ship, the Dali, losing control and colliding with a support beam. Quick-thinking officers received a mayday call just 90 seconds before the incident, alerting them to the situation. The officers promptly blocked traffic from crossing the bridge as the ship approached out of control. Despite efforts to warn a pothole repair crew still on the bridge of the impending danger, the bridge collapsed, throwing eight workers into the water. Two of the workers were rescued, while two bodies were recovered from a submerged truck. The remaining workers are presumed dead.
The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the actions of the crew on board the Dali leading up to the crash. Experts in the shipping industry have noted that the crew likely had to make a split-second decision as they lost control of the vessel. It is currently unclear whether the crew acted reasonably in the situation. However, experts have praised the crew for alerting the Maryland Transportation Authority of the potential crash, allowing for quick deployment of officers to the scene.
While it is premature to make definitive judgments about the crew’s actions, experts in the field have acknowledged the difficult circumstances they faced. Attorney Michael Mezzacappa noted that split-second decisions are often required in such situations, and the crew likely did everything they could to prevent the crash. Mezzacappa also pointed out that there will always be individuals who claim they would have handled the situation differently, but it is essential to understand the complexities of the scenario before doing so. Despite the tragic outcome, the crew’s decision to alert authorities to the impending crash has been praised as an important factor in the response to the incident.
