Francis Scott Key Victim

 It may be hard to believe, but it’s almost been two months since the Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed.  If you’re not up to speed, a cargo ship crashed into the bridge on March 26, destroying it.  This was a disaster for the people involved, the American supply chain, and the city of Baltimore. As of this week, the final Francis Scott Key victim was identified.

With an estimated re-building cost of $1.7 billion, things in the area won’t be in working order until Fall 2028.  To mitigate some of the complications caused by the incident, three temporary passage routes were opened on April 20^th. Still, those have only allowed for 15% of the volume of cargo compared to the area’s previous shipments.   

The night of the collapse, after receiving a mayday call from crew members of the ship, police and bridge workers shut down traffic along the structure, to mitigate any potential loss of life.  Unfortunately, six construction workers working on the bridge that night did not make it out.  While eight people plunged into the water below when the bridge was destroyed, two made it out alive.  The other six were presumed dead, which sadly ended up being the case. 

On May 8, 2024, the final Francis Scott Key victim, Jose Mynor Lopez’s body was found.  The other victims were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, Carlos Daniel Hernandez Estrella, and Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez.  All were immigrants from various Central and South American countries such as El Salvador, Mexico, and Guatemala. 

When incidents like this happen, it can be easy to only look at the bigger picture, meaning the length of time until things are back to normal, and the inconveniences the collapse of such a major structure may cause.  It’s imperative that we consider the human cost, in the cost of lives lost, and the labor required.  After all, things like this don’t just happen out of nowhere, they are the result of the blood, sweat and tears that are poured into them. 

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Works Cited: Final victim recovered at Key Bridge; officials plan controlled demolition – FreightWaves