• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Split-Second Decision by Hero Police Officers Saved ‘Numerous Lives’ in Baltimore Bridge Disaster

Split-Second Decision by Hero Police Officers Saved ‘Numerous Lives’ in Baltimore Bridge Disaster

March 27, 2024
Two GOP Senators Vote ‘No’ As Trump’s Megabill Clears Critical Hurdle

Two GOP Senators Vote ‘No’ As Trump’s Megabill Clears Critical Hurdle

June 28, 2025
‘Outright Massacre’: Senate GOP Takes Sledgehammer To Biden’s Green Energy Subsidies

‘Outright Massacre’: Senate GOP Takes Sledgehammer To Biden’s Green Energy Subsidies

June 28, 2025
REP. KEITH SELF: Whose Fault Is The Fiscal Mess? Time To Reform Everything

REP. KEITH SELF: Whose Fault Is The Fiscal Mess? Time To Reform Everything

June 28, 2025
‘Ultimate Betrayal’: White House Issues Stark Warning For GOP Holdouts On Trump Bill

‘Ultimate Betrayal’: White House Issues Stark Warning For GOP Holdouts On Trump Bill

June 28, 2025
GROVER NORQUIST: A Big Beautiful Bill For July 4 Will Make America Stronger

GROVER NORQUIST: A Big Beautiful Bill For July 4 Will Make America Stronger

June 28, 2025
Will The US Finally Pivot To China?

Will The US Finally Pivot To China?

June 28, 2025
JAMES CARTER And SEVASTIAN HORTON: Reauthorize EXIM: A Cornerstone Of The America First Mandate

JAMES CARTER And SEVASTIAN HORTON: Reauthorize EXIM: A Cornerstone Of The America First Mandate

June 28, 2025
BOB RUBIN: AI Is Reshaping Capitalism, Smart Investors Are Paying Attention

BOB RUBIN: AI Is Reshaping Capitalism, Smart Investors Are Paying Attention

June 27, 2025
John Fetterman Breaks With Democrats To Back Trump’s Bombing Of Iran

John Fetterman Breaks With Democrats To Back Trump’s Bombing Of Iran

June 27, 2025
Elites’ Private Jets Drive More Emissions Than All Flights Leaving One Of World’s Biggest Airports, Study Finds

Elites’ Private Jets Drive More Emissions Than All Flights Leaving One Of World’s Biggest Airports, Study Finds

June 27, 2025
Pulitzer-Winning WaPo Reporter Charged With Alleged Possession Of Child Porn

Pulitzer-Winning WaPo Reporter Charged With Alleged Possession Of Child Porn

June 27, 2025
Liberal Justices Melt Down Over Ending District Court Judge Power Grab, Warn Of ‘Our Collective Demise’

Liberal Justices Melt Down Over Ending District Court Judge Power Grab, Warn Of ‘Our Collective Demise’

June 27, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Sunday, June 29, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home Commentary

Split-Second Decision by Hero Police Officers Saved ‘Numerous Lives’ in Baltimore Bridge Disaster

by Western Journal
March 27, 2024 at 2:48 pm
in Commentary
240 12
0
Split-Second Decision by Hero Police Officers Saved ‘Numerous Lives’ in Baltimore Bridge Disaster

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 27: The collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is seen in the background of the on ramp to the bridge on March 27, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. Two survivors were pulled from the Patapsco River and six missing people are presumed dead after the Coast Guard called off rescue efforts. A work crew was fixing potholes on the bridge, which is used by roughly 30,000 people each day, when the ship struck at around 1:30am on Tuesday morning. The accident has temporarily closed the Port of Baltimore, one of the largest and busiest on the East Coast of the U.S. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

CLARIFICATION, April 1, 2024: The two police officers lauded for their actions before the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge are state employees. An earlier version of this article suggested otherwise.

A rogue cop is quick to make the news, causing pundits to opine for hours, making generalizations about the entire force.

But, this rarely happens when hero cops save lives and families — although such events happen every day.

The brave officers of police departments around our country put their lives on the line every day to save others, and it’s important to highlight their sacrificial work, without which the country would be paralyzed.

In the early hours of Tuesday, around 1:30 a.m., a massive 984-foot Singapore-based container ship, Dali, experienced a complete power blackout while traveling outbound from the Port of Baltimore. This caused the ship to lose propulsion and steering control, according to CNN.

As the powerless Dali drifted off course towards the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the crew attempted emergency measures but could not regain control, eventually striking one of the pillars of the bridge.

A person living in Dundalk, about a mile away from the bridge, said it felt and sounded like an earthquake or plane crash, the New York Post reported.

The impact from the massive cargo vessel caused the entire 1.6-mile-long bridge to catastrophically collapse.

According to The Baltimore Banner, the Dali sent a distress signal as it began to lose power, which was picked up by the Coast Guard.

Maryland Transportation Authority Police then stepped in to contain the situation.

The officers were monitoring the stricken container ship Dali as it experienced a power failure and drifted disastrously off course toward the Key Bridge.

At 1:27 a.m., a call came over the dispatch radio that the Singapore-flagged Dali cargo vessel had lost steering and was on a collision course with the bridge. “There’s a ship approaching that just lost their steering. So until they get that under control we gotta stop all traffic,” the dispatch officer stated over the radio.

A second officer quickly moved into position on the south end and successfully stopped northbound traffic.

Seconds ticked by as the officers verified the bridge was closed to vehicles. However, they were unaware that a construction crew was operating on the bridge deck that night, repairing potholes to avoid lane closures during daylight hours.

At approximately 1:28 a.m., one of the officers said, “Is there a crew working on the bridge right now?”

“Just make sure no one’s on the bridge right now. … If there’s a crew up there, you might want to notify whoever the foreman is to see if we can get them off the bridge temporarily,” he added.

Another officer offered to ride up and tell the workers, but there was no time.

A few seconds later, the powerless Dali rammed into the bridge pylon, blasting with the force of 10 million pounds based on expert estimates. Within 20 seconds, the entire bridge collapsed into the river below.

“The whole bridge just fell down. Start, start, whoever, everybody — the whole bridge just collapsed,” one officer shouted over the radio in the chaotic moments after impact.

Eight construction workers who were on the bridge repairing potholes were thrown into the Patapsco River when it crumbled.

Two workers were rescued, and one was hospitalized in serious condition.

According to a first responder, the other worker just “brushed his clothes off and wanted to see his family. He was shaken up a little bit but nothing major. I guess the good Lord was on his side,” the Post reported.

However, the six other workers from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are missing and presumed dead as of Tuesday evening, CNN reported.

The amount of time between the first call and the collapse was a mere 90 seconds, according to the Post.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore credited the quick work of the two Maryland Transportation Authority Police officers in blocking off access and stopping traffic from entering the bridge with saving “numerous lives.”

Today’s cover: How hero cops stopped Baltimore drivers seconds before ship smash: ‘The bridge is down! https://t.co/lbx7FX1UQI pic.twitter.com/KbqgNH1Ken

— New York Post (@nypost) March 27, 2024


In 2020, the Baltimore City Council slashed $22.4 million from their police budget, including overtime pay, in the wake of the death of George Floyd. While the drastic cuts were being made, crowds of protesters stood outside City Hall demanding that the entire police force be defunded altogether, according to WYPR-FM.

According to WBFF-TV, the current number of police at the Baltimore Police Department is dangerously low, with as few as three police officers for more than 61,000 residents.

This is no doubt, at least in part, due to the anti-police stance of many elected leaders and political organizations.

The whats and whys of this devastating event will be debated for a long time.

What cannot be denied is that in the time of crisis in Baltimore, it wasn’t the politicians or the social workers who rushed into the line of danger to save lives, regardless of race or color — it was two courageous MDTA Police officers.


This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Tags: Baltimoreemergencies and accidentsMarylandpoliceU.S. News
Share196Tweet123
Western Journal

Western Journal

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th