An Ohio mayor has raised concerns about a Cincinnati bridge after a serious car accident that occurred on the bridge Aug. 2 left six people with injuries. According to the report, the incident took place on the Brent Spence Bridge in Cincinnati and involved eight vehicles.
Those who saw the accident unfold told authorities that it began when a passenger vehicle merged across three lanes of traffic and slammed into a truck. This initial impact caused several other vehicles that were traveling behind the truck to crash. In total, eight vehicles became involved in the chain-reaction accident.
Several witnesses reportedly helped the passengers who were involved get out of their cars. The six people who were taken to a nearby hospital suffered injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening.
This particular bridge has caused many travelers trouble in the past: In addition to having narrow lanes, the report also stated that the bridge, which carries double its intended capacity, has no emergency shoulders, meaning that any car accidents or breakdowns are likely to cause major traffic jams; this also means that emergency vehicles may have trouble getting to any crashes that occur on the bridge. The mayor of Covington has been calling for a new bridge, which would cost approximately $2.5 billion, but the project has been delayed as it is not known who will pay for it. Officials claim that they receive several calls on a weekly basis about incidents on the bridge.
When car accidents occur on narrow, congested roads, it is likely that those who become involved will suffer injuries that could potentially be serious or even life-altering. Those who suffered an injury that was caused by another driver may be eligible to seek compensation for any damages that they sustained as a direct cause of the crash. In cases like these, more than one party may be liable. A suit following a crash on a dangerous, unsafe, insufficiently marked or structurally obsolete roadway could potentially implicate the agencies involved in ensuring that the road is safe for motorists to traverse.
Source: WLWT, “Serious multi-car crash on Brent Spence Bridge highlights need for new structure“, Courtis Fuller and Tammy Mutasa, August 04, 2014