One Baltimorean was lucky to avoid Tuesday’s bridge collapse by mere minutes after crossing over it three times, The Telegraph reported.
Jen Woof told the newspaper that her son, Jayden, was planning to stay overnight at his girlfriend’s home on the north side of the river. But after an argument, he crossed the bridge back home.
Jayden then reportedly drove back over the bridge because he was feeling guilty about their argument, but his girlfriend sent him back.
His third time crossing the Francis Scott Key Bridge happened just three minutes before it collapsed, per The Telegraph.
“He was actually almost to our house when his girlfriend started texting him to ask if he was OK,” his mom told the newspaper.
“He thought she was texting because they were arguing, and she said the bridge had collapsed.”
She added: “He came into my house, frantically panicking and yelling for me and showing me a video.”
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed at around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday after a ship collided with one of its supports.
Six construction workers are presumed dead. The city’s fire chief said in a press conference that two people were rescued from the water, one of whom was sent to a local trauma center in a “very serious condition.”
The tragedy could have been worse if not for the ship’s “Mayday” distress call — giving officers time to close car traffic across the bridge.
How and why the bridge collapsed could have important implications for the shipping and engineering industries.
Engineering experts told Business Insider the sheer size of the 95,000-ton container ship meant the bridge stood little chance of survival.
