A California construction worker fell to his death when the bridge he was helping demolish collapsed onto the 91 Freeway.
Portion of EB 91 Fwy in Riverside mostly shut down after 1 person killed in bridge collapse http://t.co/PViw0tzf0m pic.twitter.com/8cOvKXGMr0
— KTLA (@KTLA) May 18, 2014
The Los Angeles Times reported that the incident occurred around 3:15 a.m. on Sunday. The 59-year-old construction worker, who has been identified as Okesene Faasalele, was pronounced dead 45 minutes after arriving at the hospital.
According to The Beverly Hills Courier, the bridge was being demolished as part of an expansion project for the 91 Freeway. Traffic on both sides of the freeway had been closed since 11:00 p.m. the previous night. However, due to the collapse and the fatality, the closure was extended indefinitely, as workers spent the morning trying to clear up the fallen bridge that blocked the freeway lanes.
While it isn't clear what caused the bridge to collapse, witnesses say a part of it just buckled and collapsed. Cal Trans spokeswoman Michelle Profant said an investigation will be conducted. No other injuries were reported.