Woman falls to death after Florida draw bridge she was crossing opens

[sl8]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/investigation-underway-bicyclist-dies-draw-bridge-opens-florida-rcna15118

Woman falls to death after Florida draw bridge she was crossing opens

She was about 10 feet away from the end of the bridge when she fell some six stories through a gap in the road and died, West Palm Beach police spokesman Mike Jachles said.

Feb. 7, 2022, 7:46 AM EST / Updated Feb. 7, 2022, 9:51 AM EST
By Marlene Lenthang

A woman fell to her death Sunday when a draw bridge in West Palm Beach, Florida, was raised as she was walking across with her bike, according to police.

The woman, who has not been identified, was walking across the Royal Park Bridge, which stretches from Lakeview Avenue in West Palm Beach and connects to the island of Palm Beach, at around 1 p.m., West Palm Beach police said.

She was about 10 feet away from the end of the bridge when it raised and she fell through a gap in the road, NBC affiliate WPTV in Palm Beach, Florida, reported.

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[MaryMagdaline]

1. Oh wow - this is why I couldn't get across yesterday - bridge was up and lots of police

Very sad

[MLAA]

2. What a sad, horrific accident. Either safety procedures were not adequate or were not followed.

[wendyb-NC]

3. Surreal

Absolutely horrifying. Where were the warning signal and sounds to notify pedestrians and drivers, to clear the roadway and walkways before, the mechanisms to raise the bridge were activated.

[LoisB]

4. Very sad. I would think there is some negligence on someone's part.

[LisaM]

5. Let me guess. No human working the drawbridge.

It sounds like something where there should be two people in a booth making sure things like this don't happen. But I bet it's fully automated.

[Hoyt]

7. Apparently, there was a "bridge tender" on duty.

"Police described the bridge tender as “distraught” when officers and rescue workers were on the scene. The tender’s actions before the bridge opened will be a focus of the investigation, Jachles said."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/02/07/royal-park-bridge-closed-traffic-after-bicyclists-deadly-fall/6688431001/

[LisaM]

8. Thank you. I didn't see it in the article.

But it seems as if they need two. How can one person watch the whole bridge?

[iscooterliberally]

6. I remember this happening in East Boston right after I moved away from there.

I think it was the Meridian Street bridge. I used to walk across it all the time. I'm sorry for her friends and family.

https://apnews.com/article/81f5ab10896049689f01a8adb527fe0b