Commuters in Washington State were in for a huge surprise when a usually irrational nightmare suddenly turned into reality.
Late Thursday, the Interstate 5 bridge collapsed right over the Skagit River, taking cars and people down with it. According to the Washington State Patrol chief, the cause was an impact from an oversize truck hitting the span. That truck made it off the bridge before it plunged into the water.
Two other vehicles behind that truck went down instead. Fortunately, the three individuals in those cars were rescued and said to be recovering well.
One of those commuters, Dan Sligh, recalls hitting the frigid waters when the bridge crumbled.
Sligh and his wife were in their pickup truck on Interstate 5 heading to a camping trip when a bridge before them disappeared in a “big puff of dust.”
“I hit the brakes and we went off,” Sligh told reporters from a hospital, adding he “saw the water approaching … you hold on as tight as you can.”
Sligh said his shoulder was dislocated in the drop into the water, and he found himself “belly deep in water in the truck.” He said he popped his shoulder back in and called out to his wife, who he described as being in shock initially as they waited for rescuers to arrive in boats.
Authorities do not believe anyone else fell into the water. A thorough investigation into the cause is currently underway.
Here are the unbelievable photos from the “functionally obsolete” bridge last night:
PHOTO SOURCE: Getty | Instagram
