Couple Injured in Fern Hollow Bridge Collapse Sue Pittsburgh, PennDOT, Port Authority – WPXI

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated Mar 16, 2022

PITTSBURGH — The couple injured when their pickup truck crashed into the Fern Hollow Bridge are suing the City of Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Allegheny County Port Authority.

>>PICTURES: A look at the bridge collapse through the eyes of first responders

Tyrone and Velva Perry, both 69, took a different route than usual on January 28 because of snow and ended up on the bridge when it collapsed. They were on their way to look after Tyrone’s 93-year-old mother.

As they were both discharged from hospital, the couple’s daughter told Channel 11 News they were each in intensive care for a day with fractured vertebrae. The attorneys said they were “now wearing body braces with impaired movement and extreme pain.”

>>PREVIOUS STORY: ‘Straight out of a movie’: Couple caught in Pittsburgh bridge collapse take another route due to snow

Attorneys for the Perrys said notices of intent to sue were sent on Wednesday.

“Without warning, the bridge collapsed, dropping the Perrys and the vehicle about 100 feet into the depression. Other vehicles fell off the bridge immediately afterwards, narrowly missing the Perrys on the ground below. One of those vehicles was a very large commuter bus,” a press release from the lawyers said.

>>PREVIOUS STORY: NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Fern Hollow Bridge Collapse in Pittsburgh

A total of five vehicles and a PAT bus were involved in the collapse, which sent them into a ravine at Frick Park. Ten people were injured, including four hospitalized. Some of those injured were first responders who slipped and fell.

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The attorneys’ statement went on to say:

“Among other information developed since the accident, a preliminary investigation revealed that the bridge had been in poor condition for many years, this was known to the city and PennDOT, and that a weight limit had been imposed on the bridge. due to his deteriorated condition. The collapse was a complete failure of government accountability to public safety and to the Perrys.

>>PREVIOUS STORY: Target 11: The Fern Hollow Bridge warning signs had been there for a decade

The notices of intent to sue, lawyers say, are intended to notify agencies of the “serious harm” suffered by the couple and to urge parties responsible for maintaining bridges and highways “to act now and vigorously to prevent this kind of disaster does not happen again.