Pedestrian Bridge Collapses Onto Tracks In Greenbelt
GREENBELT, Md. (WJZ) -- A frightening scene near College Park. A pedestrian bridge tumbles onto train tracks in Prince George's County, leaving massive headaches for commuters.
Rick Ritter has the latest.
Parts of Metro's Green Line were suspended most of the day and night. The contractor involved in the accident has years of experience. It was an accident that clearly could have been deadly.
From high above, a bridge stands no more. On the ground--destruction that's hard to take in. Many lined up to take pictures of what could have been devastating.
"Obviously, it could have been terrible," said Bob Catlin.
The call came in around 3 p.m. Wednesday. Prince George's County fire officials say a piece of construction equipment slammed into the cross section of a bridge that connects College Park and Berwyn Heights.
"This is an important connection. There's not a whole lot of connections in College Park," said Catlin.
Investigators say the entire bridge, which spans four tracks, all came tumbling down.
The aftermath--like something out of a movie.
"I've been here my whole life, and it's very shocking to see that type of destruction to it," said Hilary Beall.
An active spot for runners and bikers, Beall says she was supposed to be up there at the time of the accident. She's still shaking at the thought.
"I thank God no one was hurt because, really, people use this all the time," she said.
With debris scattered across tracks, Metro service on the Green Line was suspended between the College Park and Greenbelt stations.
MARC service on its Camden Line was also suspended, but later restored.
Skanska USA says one of its operators was handling the crane at the time of the accident, building a new test track for Metro.
"I've never seen this before. We're still trying to figure out exactly what happened," said John Hellman, civil operations manager, Skanska USA.
A miracle that no one was injured.
"It's truly a blessing from God," said Eddie Beall.
Skanska says it's conducting its own investigation into the incident. Metro rail service between Greenbelt and College Park is not expected to be restored Thursday morning, but shuttle buses will be available.
Skanska says its crane operator involved in the accident has 30 years of experience. Commuters are being encouraged to use New Carrollton as an alternative to Greenbelt Thursday morning.
