Current Events > Florida cyclist plummets to her death when drawbridge opens

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https://nypost.com/2022/02/07/cyclist-falls-to-death-when-florida-drawbridge-opens/

An elderly woman fell to her death this weekend when a Florida drawbridge opened while she was crossing it with her bicycle, authorities said.

The woman, who had yet to be formally identified as of midday Monday, had been walking her bicycle across the Royal Park Bridge from Palm Beach into downtown West Palm Beach on Sunday, West Palm Beach police said.

She was within 10 feet of the drawbridges barrier arms that halt traffic when it started to rise, police told the Palm Beach Post.

The woman tried to hang on, police spokesman Mike Jachles said.
A man on the other side of the span quickly grabbed onto the womans arms, but couldnt keep his grip, Jachles said.

He tried to help her but he wasnt able to hold onto her and she fell about five to six stories below, Jachles said. At some point it opened. The circumstances around that are under investigation by detectives.

The woman, who died on impact, landed on the concrete below the bridge, Jachles told WPTV.

The fatal incident shut down the span for hours before it was reopened at about 7 p.m. Sunday.

The victim was an older woman, possibly from West Palm Beach, Jachles told WPBF. She did not have an ID with her and investigators were still working to identify her Monday afternoon.

So if anybody knows who this person might be, theyre urged to contact the West Palm Beach Police Department, Jachles told reporters.

The bridge tender whose actions prior to the span opening will be the focus of the probe was distraught after the womans death, Jachles said.

People in cars, as well as the female bridge tender, witnessed the womans fatal fall. Jachles said the bridge tender was obviously very upset, but he declined to elaborate on what she told detectives.

The drawbridge is maintained by the states Department of Transportation, but a private state contractor employs the bridges tenders, according to the Palm Beach Post.

The Royal Park Bridge is trafficked heavily by bicyclists, according to local safety advocates.

Palm Beach is accessible only through three bridges and this is the main bridge, so its very used by cyclists, advocate Juan Orellana told WPTV.
The span has clearly visible barriers and uses bells to alert people when its about to open, he said.

For one thing, you will hear the bell before the arms go down, so when you hear the bell, you gotta get out of the way before the bridge goes up, Orellana told the station.

The company contracted by state transportation officials to employ bridge tenders on the span is a firm named Florida Drawbridge, WPBF reported. It didnt respond to a request for comment, the station reported.

I'm having a hard time visualizing this one. It says she was within 10 feet of the barrier arms, but someone on the other side was able to grab her? Where specifically on the bridge was she?

So, was the bridge drawn without prior warning as it usually gives off or was the victim impaired, or was the woman careless?

Won't be surprised if DeSantis cut funds for bridge safety and something malfunctioned

Turtlemayor333 posted...

Won't be surprised if DeSantis cut funds for bridge safety and something malfunctioned

This seems like a delusional starting point for a probing process.

So she must have been tossed backwards over the side when it started to raise? Feel really bad for the dude who tried to save her. Probably going to be mentally fucked by it the rest of his life.

Bandit_Keith posted...

So, was the bridge drawn without prior warning as it usually gives off or was the victim impaired, or was the woman careless?

The article says:

For one thing, you will hear the bell before the arms go down, so when you hear the bell, you gotta get out of the way before the bridge goes up, Orellana told the station.

I imagine the bell is loud and everyone can hear it as a warning. Still not exactly sure what happened myself.

DeadBankerDream posted...

This seems like a delusional starting point for a probing process.

Well shit, looks like we need to take fucking Turtlemayor333 off of the probe.

eston posted...

I'm having a hard time visualizing this one.

terrible MS Paint drawing:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/9/8/AAEhCpAAC5ki.jpg

eston posted...

I'm having a hard time visualizing this one. It says she was within 10 feet of the barrier arms, but someone on the other side was able to grab her? Where specifically on the bridge was she?

Yeah same here

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Okay this is much more helpful. She's elderly, so I wonder if she was moving slowly. When the bell starts going off how long do you have before it starts going up?

Veggeta_MAX posted...

The article says:

For one thing, you will hear the bell before the arms go down, so when you hear the bell, you gotta get out of the way before the bridge goes up, Orellana told the station.

I imagine the bell is loud and everyone can hear it as a warning. Still not exactly sure what happened myself.

That's the things the article says what should usually happen. Not that that is what happened this time, no?

That bridge tender had exactly one job, to make sure no one was on the bridge before pushing their button. I wonder if they will face charges.

old people sometimes have trouble hearing and/or moving quickly

That sucks. I wonder if she was hard of hearing? Poor old lady.

even if she was on the correct side of the bridge she still would have fallen and died when it went vertical

whoever was supposed to make sure the bridge is clear must not have

generally they're supposed to visually clear the bridge before opening it. so did the operator fail to do that or did she rush out after the fact?

still a lot of unknown facts in this one

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/2/3/AAUFZqAAC5k7.jpg

From a Reddit thread on the story. She fell through the gap that was created as the bridge rose and the bottom dropped away.

UnholyMudcrab posted...

From a Reddit thread on the story. She fell through the gap that was created as the bridge rose and the bottom dropped away.

Yeah, metallica846 posted it in post 11 already.

Man I never realized that's what that part of a moving bridge looks like. I always just worried about the middle part when I think of them. I never realized there's basically a death trap at the ends that'll spill you down a kill hole.

I have a theory that she was sitting down and resting for a scenic view on the bridge, the bridge tender didnt see anyone walking for a while and set the alarms enough time for anyone to hear and make them selves viable and get off . She from her sitting position either got scared and tried to hold on or didnt hear the alarms .

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Thanks, that's helpful