FIU Bridge Collapse In Miami Kills At Least 6, Injures More

MIAMI, FL — At least six people were killed and eight vehicles were crushed when a newly constructed pedestrian bridge collapsed outside the main campus of Florida International University on Thursday. At least 10 others were taken to Kendall Regional Medical Center, including two in critical condition. The 174 foot, 950 ton main span of the bridge was lifted from its temporary supports, rotated 90 degrees across an eight-lane road and lowered into its permanent position "in a matter of hours" on Saturday. The bridge was intended to improve safety for the thousands of students who cross into the campus from the city of Sweetwater each day.

"We have identified victims but we're unable to identify them, or have any confirmation," said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Dave Downey, speaking at a Thursday night press conference. "We have located up to four victims, four deceased."

Authorities on Friday confirmed that six people had died and that personnel had arrived at the site from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Search-and-rescue crews worked into the night, using dogs, search cameras and sensitive listening devices in a frantic search to find survivors among the debris.

"There's a lot that we don't know but there's a lot that we intend to find out," said Chairman Robert Sumwalt of the National Transportation Safety Board who said that his team was arriving on Thursday night and planned to hit the ground running on Friday morning.

President Trump described the tragedy as a "heartbreaking bridge collapse at FIU — so tragic," he tweeted. "Many brave first responders rushed in to save lives. Thank you for your courage. Praying this evening for all who are affected."

A fact sheet prepared by Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office ahead of the evening press conference said that FIU's design build team was required to select an independent, secondary design check for the bridge. The build team selected the firm of Louis Berger to perform the design check but Berger was not pre-qualified by state officials as required. The governor's office stressed that FIU’s design build team was responsible for selecting a pre-qualified firm and making sure that the requirements were met, something that did not happen in this case though it was not clear if that in any way contributed to the collapse.

The project designer is Figg Engineering and the contractor who built and installed the structure was MCM. The construction engineering and inspection service was provided by Bolton Perez and Associates.

FIGG was fined in 2012 after a 90-ton (80-metric ton) section of a bridge it was building in Virginia crashed onto railroad tracks below, causing minor injuries to several workers. The citation from the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry said FIGG did not properly inspect a girder and had not obtained written consent from its manufacturer before modifying it, according to a story in The Virginian-Pilot.

Court documents show that MCM was accused of substandard work in a lawsuit filed earlier this month. The suit said a worker at Fort Lauderdale International Airport, where the company is working on an expansion, was injured when a makeshift MCM-built bridge collapsed under his weight.

The suit accused the company of employing “incompetent, inexperienced, unskilled or careless employees” at the job site.

A review of Occupational Safety Health Administration records shows that MCM has been fined for 11 safety violations in the past five years. The fines totaling more than $50,000 arose from complaints about unsafe trenches, cement dust and other problems at its Florida work sites.

"FIU is home. I’ve been an adjunct professor here for 10 years," explained Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at the press conference. "There’s a lot of pride and excitement that exists about this project. Ironically, it’s project designed for safety. We lost some students last year crossing that road behind us. And it’s also been a signature project. One that people would identify with the school and with this community."

Rubio said that the "one-of-a-kind" design would have been something that people would have associated with the school. "So to see it on the ground there today," he said, "and underneath, those who lost their lives as a result of this, and those who have been injured. It’s just so tragic. We recognize that even as we speak to you now, there are families whose hearts are being broken by the news or the thought that a loved one’s perished in something like this."

The main section of the bridge was constructed along busy SW 8th Street using Accelerated Bridge Construction techniques, which were touted by school officials, who said that they would reduce potential risks to workers, commuters and pedestrians while minimizing traffic interruptions.

More than 100 technical rescue specialists from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and rescue dogs were on the scene looking for "viable patients," according to first responders.

"Obviously we have a terrible tragedy here today," observed Deputy Miami-Dade County Mayor Maurice Kemp. "We have multiple victims. The final number hasn't been determined yet."

Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez said that officials are asking families who are worried about loved ones to call 305-348-3481.

"Our homicide bureau will take the lead in investigating this tragedy that has occurred," said Perez.

Sweetwater police Detective Juan Llera was in a nearby meeting when the bridge collapsed.
“I heard a ‘boom’ like a bomb had exploded,” he said. “At first I thought it was a terrorist attack.”
He said he saw three injured construction workers. One had a head injury and was passing in and out of consciousness, another one had a leg injury leg and the third was lying on the street unconscious. Llera started performing CPR on him.

“We were able to keep him alive to send him to the hospital,” Llera said.

Of the 10 injured people taken to Kendall, two were in “extremely critical” condition and eight were stable with injuries such as broken bones, bruises and abrasions, said Dr. Mark McKenney, the hospital’s director of general surgery.

Of the two more serious cases, one arrived in cardiac arrest but was revived. The other had a serious brain injury, McKenney said.

FIU released a statement saying that the school was shocked and saddened by the tragedy.

"I am heartbroken at the news of the collapse of the pedestrian bridge on 8th Street and the resulting devastation," said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. "We send our deepest condolences to the victims and their families."

On Saturday, Rosenberg hailed the bridge as a "dream come true" for the university, which has long been aware of safety concerns. FIU freshman Alexis Dale was killed in August while attempting to cross busy SW 8th Street.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who is traveling in Hong Kong on business, said that he was "actively monitoring" the tragedy from abroad. He sent Kemp to the scene.

“I am very saddened by the pedestrian bridge collapse at FIU. Having grown up just west of the university, this tragedy hits close to home," added Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo, Jr. "My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families."

The $14.2 million bridge connecting FIU with the city of Sweetwater was funded as part of a $19.4 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant. FIU asked people to avoid the areas between SW 117th Avenue and 107th Avenue.

FIU students were off for spring break on Thursday. The university will be open on Friday. However, there will be a number of detours in effect. See the complete list at the bottom of this article.

The bridge, designed to withstand hurricane-force winds, was possibly undergoing a stress test prior to the collapse, according to Local 10 News. Sweetwater Mayor Orlando Lopez said officials do not yet know what caused the tragedy.

Scott also attended the evening press conference along with Rubio, who earlier asked the National Transportation Safety Board to consider the “bridge’s design, construction, and ultimate failure” in its investigation of the collapse.

"The most important thing we can do right now is pray for individuals who ended up in the hospital, for their full recovery, pray for the family members that have lost loved ones," the governor said.

Scott said that he was ordering an investigation into the project, which was overseen by local officials and not the Florida Department of Transportation. He said that FDOT’s role was to administer funding and perform a preliminary review for general compliance with the agreement between FIU and the state.

Watch video of the bridge being swung into place last weekend.

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The following detours will be in effect until further notice at FIU:

• Southwest 8th Street, from 107th Avenue to 117th Avenue is closed until further notice.
• The eastbound exit from the Florida Turnpike is closed. Please use the Northwest 12th Street exit or the Southwest 40th Street exit. Please allow additional time for your commute to work.
• Parking garages 4, 5 and 6 will be closed to cars but open for scheduled events or activities. Use parking garages 1, 2, 3 or surface lots and walk to the garages.
• Shuttles will run between lot 3 (in front of the SASC building) and the 4th Street Commons building in Sweetwater. Shuttles will run every 20 minutes on Friday, March 16 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will not run on Saturday, March 17. It will run from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, March 18.

School officials said that counseling resources will be available for students, faculty and staff as follows:

• Students who feel affected by the tragedy should contact Counseling and Psychological Services. Faculty and staff can contact the Office of Employee Assistance at 305-348-2469, or via e-mail at oea@fiu.edu.
• The FIU Center for Children and Families is offering free individual consultations for any families with children who may have been affected at 305-348-0477.
• Faculty and staff who have been directly impacted and feel the need to take time off should notify their immediate supervisor.

Patch editor Paul Scicchitano in Miami contributed to this report. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIU's new pedestrian bridge collapsed days after it was swung into place over the weekend. Photo courtesy Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.