Preliminary Report Comes Out On I-40 Bridge Collapse
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
The captain of the tugboat that pushed
barges into the Interstate 40 bridge in Oklahoma says he screamed
in frustration as cars and trucks plunged into the Arkansas River.
Fourteen people died in the May 26th, 2002, collapse of the
bridge near Webbers Falls.
A federal report says Captain William Joe Dedmon spoke with
investigators three days after the crash. He denied fatigue was a
factor in the crash, but he says he doesn`t know what happened.
Dedmon told National Transportation Safety Board investigators
the last thing he remembers before the collision is passing the
last buoy as the barges approached the bridge.
Attorneys for Dedmon and his employer, Magnolia Marine
Transport, say Dedmon blacked out before the tugboat ran the empty
barges into a bridge support.
A final report that will include conclusions and recommendations
is still pending.
