BALTIMORE -- Eyewitnesses were left in disbelief in the early hours of Tuesday morning as they gazed at the spot where the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge once arched over the Patapsco River. The structure crumbled into the water below overnight. Rescue operations are currently in progress after multiple vehicles plunged into the icy water.
A significant cargo vessel is suspected to have collided with a support column of the bridge around 1:30 a.m., as stated by fire department representative Kevin Cartwright. Reports indicate that there are between seven and twenty individuals in the water, prompting a comprehensive emergency response.
Footage captured by WJZ reveals a fiery burst preceding the collapse, during which the ship seems to impact a section of the bridge.
'Unbelievable Loss'
A bystander informed WJZ's Mike Hellgren that the noise accompanying the bridge's fall was deafening, causing tremors in his residence.
"It was like an earthquake - sounded like a loud clap of thunder," the witness recounted. "And then, just like I said, it felt like an earthquake, the entire house shook. It was as if my home was collapsing."
The witness expressed astonishment, stating that he never imagined witnessing such a catastrophic event.
As a long-time resident of the neighborhood, memories of the bridge's construction 57 years ago flooded his mind. "Can't believe it's gone," he lamented.
Speculation ran rampant among residents about the aftermath of the crash. "This is going to be catastrophic for many reasons," one resident predicted. "The harbor's blocked, new car deliveries will be halted, and Amazon deliveries will be delayed. The beltway will be a parking lot, and the tunnels will be over-jammed."
Another resident, who had crossed the bridge just the day before, expressed shock and devastation. "To see the bridge gone knowing I was on it not even 10 hours ago - it's devastating," they shared with WJZ.
Francis Scott Key Bridge
The Francis Scott Key Bridge stretches across the Patapsco River and serves as a segment of I-695. Commuters are advised to opt for I-95 or I-895 on Tuesday morning.
Multiple agencies, including the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, the Baltimore County Fire Department, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and the Maryland Transit Authority, are responding to the incident.
The 1.6 mile-long bridge, named after the writer of the Star Spangled Banner, was inaugurated in 1977 and is one of Baltimore's Harbor's three toll crossings, according to the MDTA.
