Survivor of Baltimore bridge collapse reportedly escaped through car’s manual window, attorney claims

According to lawyer Chris Stewart, one of the survivors of the Baltimore bridge disaster was able to escape because he managed to roll down his car’s manual window. Julio Cervantes was on the 1.6-mile-long structure when it collapsed into the Patapsco River after being struck by the Dali, a huge container ship that lost control and hit one of the bridge’s supports last month.

Mr Cervantes, along with another man, was rescued on the same day but six other road workers were killed. Lawyer Chris Stewart mentioned that the workers were sitting in their vehicles during a break from repairing potholes on the bridge and had no warning of the oncoming disaster.

Mr Cervantes survived by escaping through his vehicle’s manual window as his car plummeted into the water. Despite not being able to swim, he held onto debris in the water until he was rescued. Mr Cervantes was taken to a hospital with a chest wound and released on the same day.

Mr Cervantes’s wife described his survival as a miracle, and it was mentioned that he lost family members in the collapse. It was also noted that he will eventually share the epic tale of his survival.

After the disaster, it was revealed that personnel on board the ship alerted the Maryland Department of Transportation about losing control, allowing local authorities to halt traffic before the bridge was hit. The FBI has opened a criminal probe into the bridge collapse, focusing on the Dali and if its crew knew about serious problems with its systems.

Safety investigators have recovered the ship’s black box, containing data such as position, speed, heading, radar, and bridge audio and radio communications. The remains of the bridge still obstruct the shipping lane where the cargo ship rests.