Woman Falls 6 Stories To Her Death After Drawbridge Unexpectedly Opens Beneath Her
09.02.2022 - 01:15
/ perezhilton.com
A Florida woman tragically fell “five or six stories” to her death after trying to cross a drawbridge — which unexpectedly opened while she was still on it.
The tragic incident occurred on Sunday in West Palm Beach, as the woman was walking her bicycle across the Royal Park Bridge in the coastal Florida city about 75 miles north of Miami.
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According to reports, the woman was apparently “just ten feet away from the end of the bridge” when the draw mechanism began to lift. Horrifically, she slipped through the rising gap in the road to her death.
On Tuesday morning, according to WPBF, authorities confirmed the woman was 79 years old. However, have not yet provided her name to the media.
Mike Jachles, a West Palm Beach Police Department spokesperson, told news outlet WPTV that the woman tried as hard as she could to hang on once the bridge began to rise below her. Tragically, there was another person there who witnessed the event and attempted to save her life.
Jachles said (below):
So awful…
The bridge was closed to traffic for more than six hours after the tragedy as first responders arrived at the scene. Now, authorities have opened a full investigation into the incident.
At this point, it’s unclear exactly what happened to have this horrible event occur. Jachles explained some of the common safety protocols involved in raising the drawbridge, telling the media:
The Royal Park Bridge is one of three bridges that connects Palm Beach Island to the Florida mainland in the eastern part of the city.
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According to bicycle safety advocate Juan Orellana, the bridge is the