An accident caused a pedestrian bridge to collapse onto DC-295 in Northeast Washington, D.C., Wednesday, leaving at least 5 people injured and trapping a truck that dripped gallons of diesel fuel into drains, officials say.
5 people who were in cars close by were required to hospitals with injuries, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chris Geldart stated. Their injuries are not considered dangerous. DC Fire and EMS also said two individuals were assessed however not hospitalized.
Officials state the bridge was last inspected in February and there were no structural issues.
DC-295 is expected to be closed through a minimum of Thursday while authorities rebuild the crash and tidy up the wreckage, however that timeline could change, Geldart said.
Traffic backups were reported on DC-295 after the collapse, extending a minimum of 3 miles northbound and 1.5 miles southbound.
Firemens inspected for cars and trucks underneath the collapsed bridge and initially reported no one was caught. DC Fire and EMS first reported three minor injuries.
” Everything we see in the accident scene today leads to this being a crash pulling the bridge off its mooring,” Geldart said, including that the findings are initial. “We do believe this was caused by the crash.”
A building and construction employee who was on his method to work told News4 in Spanish that he heard a crack, saw the bridge fall and knocked on the breaks.
Editors Note: The collapse occurred on DC-295, north of Interstate 295.
The effect of an accident took down the bridge about 11:50 a.m. and stimulated more crashes. Criminal activity scene and cops detectives are attempting to identify the cause of the initial crash, Geldart stated.
” I feel blessed since in that minute you think youre going to die,” he stated.
Images: Pedestrian Bridge Collapses Onto 295 in DC; 6 Hurt
City leaders state that truck must have been able to fit under the bridge, however they are going to inspect all other bridges along I-295 that the truck passed under.
A vehicle near the bridge had a shattered windshield and bent roof.
Northbound traffic is diverted to Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue and southbound traffic is diverted to Eastern Avenue, MATOC stated.
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The truck was partly caught under the bridge and dripped about 25 gallons of fuel into nearby drains pipes. A harmful products group put down a compound to take in diesel and mitigate the danger to waterways, a D.C. Department of Energy & & Environment representative stated.
The bridge that collapsed over DC-295 connected Polk Street NE to the western side of Kenilworth Avenue NW near Douglas Street NE.
Chopper4 video footage reveals the bridge on top of 3 lanes of the roadway. Fencing hangs over 3 lanes of traffic in the opposite instructions.
Geldart states authorities are investigating whether a truck carrying 500 gallons of diesel hit the bridge, which Geldart price quotes is 14 feet high.
” Avoid the area,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser stated. “Im extremely grateful for our very first responders who got here extremely quickly.”
The bridge was flanked by sets of stairs causing platforms that are still standing. Those should be inspected to see if theyre structurally sound after the crash, officials stated.
Debris including pieces of concrete and metal fencing were seen piled over the wheel of a lorry at one end of the bridge, which appeared to have actually completely detached from a staircase and platform.
The collapse brought traffic to a stop on the freeway, Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coordination (MATOC) said.
