First responder remembers Kentucky bridge collapse in wake of similar collapse in Baltimore
TRIGG COUNTY, Ky. (WKRN) — One first responder can still recall a similar moment in Kentucky in light of the tragedy still unfolding in Baltimore.
“It certainly was gut-wrenching to see that this morning and think back to that January 2012 incident here,” said Lyon County Sheriff Brent White.
The Eggners Ferry Bridge collapsed on Jan. 26, 2012, and it is still a memory that White can recall.
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Thousands of cars pass over the Eggners Ferry Bridge connecting Trigg and Marshall County daily.
On Jan. 26, 2012, a Delta Mariner cargo ship hit the Eggners Ferry Bridge, ripping a 322-foot section off.
One of the first responders on scene was White, then-lieutenant assistant post commander with the Kentucky State Police.
White told News 2 when he arrived at the scene, it was unlike anything he had seen before in his career.
“I just recall that if it hadn’t been for the situational awareness of the operator to sense something was wrong,” White said. “This was a night when it was, actually, there was some fog; there had been some precipitation in the air. It was not easy; the bridge was not lit.”
At least four vehicles were reported to be on the bridge near the time of the collapse. A pickup truck was reportedly five feet from the missing section. Two cars were behind that driver, and another was on the bridge’s opposite side.
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No injuries were reported.
In a 2012 interview with officials from the Coast Guard, National Transportation Safety Board, and the Common Wealth of Kentucky, officials claimed there were reports of the bridge’s navigational lighting being inoperative at the time of the incident.
“I understand that there was a little bit of a problem with some of the lights being out, but that in itself is, of course, yet to be determined how all of this comes together, but that in itself shouldn’t have been a major issue,” the unnamed official said in a 2012 interview.
White told News 2 the magnitude of the collapse of Eggner’s Ferry Bridge does not compare to the disaster currently taking place in Baltimore.
“Our prayers are with those in Baltimore,” White said. “There’s not a training that really prepares first responders for that kind of incident, but a culmination of their experiences just puts you in motion to try to deal with something like that.”
White added not only are there injured and missing people, but the impact the collapsed bridge will have on the community is immense.
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“Many people for employment purposes might have had to find different forms of employment because it was going to add so much to the route,” White explained. “I can only imagine what it would be like when there are millions of people in the Baltimore metropolitan area and all the way down to Washington, D.C. So certainly, our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
The new Eggner’s Ferry Bridge, built in 2016, was upgraded from two to four lanes of traffic and still sits over Kentucky Lake.
A statement from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said in part:
“The devastating incident in Baltimore highlights the worst fear of travelers, and our hearts go out to all those impacted by the tragedy. Safety is the foundation of everything we do to keep Kentuckians safe – from bridges and overpasses to highways and guardrails. When designing and maintaining bridges, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineers work to anticipate all circumstances that can impact the integrity and safety of our structures.”
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