Woman falls to death after Florida draw bridge she was crossing opens
A woman fell to her death Sunday when a draw bridge in West Palm Beach, Florida, was raised as she was walking across with her bike, according to police.
The woman, who has not been identified, was walking across the Royal Park Bridge, which stretches from Lakeview Avenue in West Palm Beach and connects to the island of Palm Beach, at around 1 p.m., West Palm Beach police said.
She was about 10 feet away from the end of the bridge when it raised and she fell through a gap in the road, NBC affiliate WPTV in Palm Beach, Florida, reported.
West Palm Beach police spokesman Mike Jachles told the outlet, "The woman tried to hang on."
"There was a bystander nearby who tried to help her, but tragically she fell five or six stories below where she died landing on concrete,” Jachles said to WPTV.
He noted that there was a bridge tender who is responsible for following safety protocols in managing the bridge.
An investigation is now underway into the woman's death and why the bridge was raised with a pedestrian still on it.
As a result of the death, the bridge was shut down for nearly six hours, finally reopening around 7 p.m., police said.
