A witness tried to help, but she couldn’t keep going.

After the draw bridge that she was crossing collapsed beneath her, a Florida woman died.

The victim, who is still unknown, was riding her bike across West Palm Beach's Royal Park Bridge on Sunday when suddenly it started to rise.

She was only 10 feet from the bridge's end when she crossed the gap.

Tragically, a witness witnessed what was happening and attempted to save her. But she couldn't hold on.

WPTV's Mike Jachles, West Palm Beach police spokesperson, said that the woman "tried to hang on".

"There was a witness nearby, who tried to help her but she tragically fell five to six stories lower than where she died, landing on concrete."

The bridge was shut down for six hours. An investigation into the cause of the tragedy is underway.

Jachles stated that there is a bridge tender and that the tender must follow certain safety protocols. "That includes lowering the gates for vehicles and pedestrians and making visual confirmations that nobody is at the spans or beyond those gates."

Juan Orellana, a bicycle safety advocate, told the outlet that out of three bridges connecting Palm Beach Island and the mainland that are used by cyclists, Royal Park is the most popular.

He stated that it has alarms and barriers that warn crossers when the bridge is about rise.

He said, "For one, you will hear the bell even prior to the arms go down. So when you hear it you have to get out of the path before the bridge goes up."

Investigators are currently reviewing security footage from the bridge. It's not clear whether the woman ignored safety warnings or was already at the bridge when alarms went off. However, WPTV was told by police that she was "almost across" the bridge when she fell.

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Title: Florida Woman Falls to Her Death After Draw Bridge Opens Beneath Her
Sourced From: toofab.com/2022/02/07/florida-woman-falls-to-her-death-after-draw-bridge-opens-beneath-her/
Published Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2022 18:12:19 +0000

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