A car precariously balanced, just 14 inches short of plummeting 140 feet into Tampa Bay, Florida, after the freighter 'Summit Venture' rammed into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge during a thunderstorm, on May 9, 1980. 35 people plunged to their deaths in the turbulent and unforgiving waters below, Remembering the people who died because of the Skyway Bridge Disaster 39 years ago. It inverted and struck the bay on its roof. "It was raining very, very hard," Wesley Maclntire, 56, told the St. Petersburg Times after the incident. But it hasn't been without its dangers, either. Part five in a series. Furthermore, he was relying on the special knowledge of the pilot who was directing the ship at the time of the accident. skywaydisaster.com . I couldn't stop. More than 1,200 feet of the bridge crumbled into Tampa Bay, and 35 people plunged to their deaths in the turbulent and unforgiving waters below. Sunshine Skyway Bridge accident: Scenes from . On May 9, 1980, America witnessed one of the most stunning tragedies in maritime history when the M/V Summit Venture, a massive 608 bulk freighter, collided with one of the Sunshine Skyway Bridges support columns. An experienced Tampa lawyer can help you navigate the murky litigation waters when theres an accident. With radar visibility still hampered by rainfall, he watched ahead for visuals to guide him. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. according to the st. petersburg times: "anyone who jumps from a point close to the center of the bridge, hits the water in about 3.5 seconds at about 75 mph. Lastly, a claim was filed by Floridas Department of Transportation for millions of dollars in damages to the bridge. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of news and events by email. A monument was created in St. Petersburg in honor of the victims. Several wrongful death claims were tried once the captain and crew were found responsible for the ships wreck. He fights for people's rights and I would hire him again if I ever needed a lawyer. This knowledge helps safely navigate the ship. SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Thirty-five years ago today, a cargo ship struck the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay. A documentary was made about the bridge disaster in 2019 and can be viewed online. About The Skyway Bridge Disaster Documentary On May 9, 1980, America witnessed one of the most stunning tragedies in maritime history when the M/V Summit Venture, a massive 608' bulk freighter, collided with one of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge's support columns. (Status last updated: November 7th, 2022 at 5:40pm) Longboat Key. The MV Summit Venture was a bulk carrier [1] that is best known for colliding into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in 1980. One man survived. MANATEE COUNTY, FL As the Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate a fatal wrong . 41st Anniversary of Tampas Sunshine Skyway Bridge Disaster, What All Drivers Should Know About Parking Lot Accidents in, Tampa, FL Swimming Pool Accident Prevention Tips, Emotional Trauma After a Tampa Auto Accident. Drunk driver crashes into FHP trooper near the Skyway 10K. WUSF 89.7 depends on donors for the funding it takes to provide you the most trusted source of news and information here in town, across our state, and around the world. open. Wind, rain and fog combined to create hazardous conditions. Carson has worked in Tampa Bay radio for three decades. The non-jury trial lasted 2 weeks before the court ruled that the captain and crew were guilty. Thirty-five people died, from blunt force trauma, drowning or a combination of the two. New Sunshine Skyway Bridge The Interstate 275 was being built through St. Petersburg during the 1980s. Then I could see the ship and the end of the bridge was breaking off. The ships owner was also denied the right to limit its liability to the value of the Summit Venture. At around 7 a.m., visibility in the shipping channel was reported to be 3 to 4 miles. We update our main status every 5 minutes from FL511. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (WFLA) - It was 40 years ago this week when a portion of the original Skyway Bridge fell over a hundred feet into Tampa Bay after being hit by a cargo ship. Saturday marks 40 years since the 19,734-ton Summit Venture freighter slammed into the old Skyway bridge. Published: 9:32 AM EST March 6, 2022. Waves churned into white caps. Lerro called in a mayday message to the Coast Guard, advising the dispatcher that the bridge was down and assets needed to be sent immediately. Subscribe to TB Reporter. Following the accident, replacement or repair of the bridge was contemplated. Pilots should know the configuration of the channel, tides and local weather. MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. Authorities say a drunk driver crashed nearly head-on into a Florida Highway Patrol trooper in . (LISTEN: The Weather Channel Podcast Talks About the Skyway Bridge Tragedy). Hornbuckle stopped his car just inches from the edge, where broken pieces of steel girder hung off the bridge and debris lay in the water and across the bow of the Summit Venture below him. Anthony Gattus didn't like what he. As conditions worsened, it continued toward the bridge instead of redirecting. Wind, rain and fog combined to create hazardous conditions. Buoys guiding the pilot through the channel were no longer visible with the naked eye or on radar. Damages were calculated, including those to the bridge, and all remaining claims were compromised and settled. Drunk driver crashes into FHP trooper near the Skyway 10K An FHP trooper used her vehicle and put herself face to face with danger. FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon has the story. Haunted Happenings. The bridge collapsed and sent cars and a Greyhound bus hurdling into the water. Bradenton. Rain blowing sideways. The Bays narrow and restrictive channels required a turn less than a mile from the mammoth bridge. Boating is a favorite pastime of many Florida residents. Indian Rocks Beach. 1 min read. Over 41 years ago, on May 9, 1980, one of the worst maritime disasters in Tampa Bay's history occurred. It had been raining off and on. The other victims were recovered later. be nice. A car that was driven by Dick Hornbuckle is halted at the edge of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay, Florida, after the freighter Summit Venture struck the bridge during a thunderstorm and tore away a large part of the span on May 9, 1980. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was initially planned to be excluded from the interstate. Within two minutes eight vehicles dropped 150 feet from the shredded apex of the bridge and hit the water. Even though he was quite experienced, hed only sailed through Tampa Bay once before. From that day forward, the journey of Captain Lerro and Steve Yerrid, the young trial lawyer who came to represent him, was one of courtroom drama, heartbreaking struggle, hard-earned redemption, and the extraordinary bond of friendship that developed between a condemned client and his devoted lawyer. Sunshine Skyway Bridge. They determined the crew had committed many violations of the navigation rules. Drivers may even blackout, or exhibit profound confusion. A personal injury claim was also filed by the pickup driver, the only survivor. More than 1,200 fee. The race was wrapping up close to Mile Marker 6 near the toll plaza on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Therefore, the act of God defense didnt apply. It was 42 years ago that the storm-blinded freighter Summit Venture crashed into the support columns of the Sunshine Skyway bridge, causing a 1,200-foot span of the bridge to collapse into the. Lerro made some adjustments to the ship's course. A 1,297-foot chunk of the highway collapsed, and six cars, one pickup truck and a bus fell 150 feet to the water. 35 others were killed. FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon has the story. It was Friday, May 9, 1980 -- at 7:33 am -- when the freighter Summit Venture rammed into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge during a severe storm. Thirty-five others died. Captain John Lerro was the 37-year old harbor pilot responsible for guiding the Summit Venture along one of the longest and most treacherous shipping channels in the world. Have A Great Day and the Lord be with all of you-always! One Tampa resident reports an especially spine-tingling encounter on the haunted Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Six cars, a truck, and a Greyhound Bus plunged into the waters below. The Florida Highway Patrol on Monday afternoon credited the actions of Trooper Toni Schuck for acting "as the last line of defense" and putting "herself in harm's way to protect others" during a collision near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Global News Police are investigating after a transport truck rolled over on top of the Burlington Skyway bridge Sunday morning. And he approached it blind. On May 9, 1980, tragedy struck. Filed Under: Community Tagged With: boating accidents, Tampa. The more well-known Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster occurred on May 9, 1980 when a freighter named the Summit Venture crashed into one of the bridge's support columns during an intense. 35 people were killed. The current Sunshine Skyway opened in 1987 and is the . He never forgave himself, Lerro's widow, Roswitha Lerro, told the Times. "I almost decided not to go across the bridge, but I kept going. MacIntire was the only person who went over the edge and survived. Remnants of the old bridge can still be seen in what is now the fishing pier. The 609-foot Summit Venture freighter collided . According to deputies,. Only 1 man survived. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. At this point, their judgment is already compromised and they lack the ability to balance themselves. Lerro told the NTSB he had been monitoring the weather that morning and had checked in with at least one other ship near the bridge to see what conditions were like. By, Jumping Off the Skyway Bridge -- and Surviving, Governor issues State of Emergency as Florida prepares for Subtropical Storm Nicole, Stetson professor says voter suppression laws hurt early voting in Florida, Hurricane, tropical storm watches issued along Florida's east coast ahead of Nicole's midweek arrival, Groups challenge the state over minimum wage for Medicaid providers, Inflation is top issue in this week's midterms, NHL team yanks contract of a player who bullied a Black classmate with disabilities, Should voting day be a holiday? Wrongful death claims were filed by the survivors of those who perished. Read all Writer Steve Yerrid Stars Bill DeYoung Leslie Spencer The Skway Bridge Disaster documentary follows the events of what happened after harbor pilot Captain John Lerro struck the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay, Florida. The Greyhound with 26 people aboard - including the Tuskegee students - was the last to fall. According to Tampa locals and tourists alike, the 35 souls who perished in the crash of 1980 never left. Harbor pilot John Lerro, specially trained to navigate big ships like the Summit Venture under the Skyway, boarded the freighter at about 6:30 a.m, along with a pilot trainee. Today is the 39th anniversary of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster. "The wind was coming like a hurricane and I was driving about 20 miles an hour because I could hardly see," Dick Hornbuckle, who was also driving over the Skyway that day, told the Times. The NTSB report said severe weather, the failure of the National Weather Service to issue a severe weather warning for mariners and the pilot's failure to react to the weather sooner were all to blame. A second span parallel to the bridge was added later in 1971 to accommodate the increased traffic. The lack of a bumper system around the bridge and the fact that there was no emergency warning system for motorists were deemed contributing factors to the deaths of the victims. Refresh this page for the latest data. Winds. The captain of the Summit Venture argued that it wasnt his fault the ship crashed into the bridge. Though the blinding rain, drivers in the southbound lanes were unable to see the missing roadway ahead. It crossed Tampa Bay and ran from St. Petersburg to Bradenton. It opened in 1987 at a cost of $224 million with a clearance of 175 feet and a channel 1,200 feet wide 400 feet wider than the channel at the time of the disaster. The replacement Sunshine Skyway opened in 1987, and still carries commuters and travelers across the bay. I hope he found forgiveness for himself in the end. The bridge's support pier was no match for the 20,000-ton ship. The judge concluded that the ships owner and crew were responsible. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is one .. MTO Camera from 11:26am. Some election deniers say yes, As Netanyahu forms Israeli government, U.S. may boycott one of his far-right allies, Florida Matters: Sunshine Skyway Bridge Disaster 35 Years Later. The pickup. Zero visibility. What you need to know to prepare and stay informed during a storm. A freight ship crashed into the support columns, causing 1,200 feet of the bridge to collapse. She was 609 feet (186 m) long, had a breadth of 85.5 feet (26.1 m), deadweight of 33,912 tons, gross weight of 19,735 tons and a net weight of 13,948 tons. Tampa Bay Times Tampa Bay Times FLORIDA. That was the scene 40 years ago this weekend as weather and human error thrust the 602-foot freighter Summit Venture onto a collision course with the 15-mile-long Sunshine Skyway bridge spanning Tampa Bay, crumpling much of the structure's southbound span and sending a truck, six cars and a Greyhound bus hurtling off the broken span into the dark waters 150 feet below. some live for minutes before they drown." This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM. A woman blew through a detour and tried going onto the Skyway Bridge where nearly 8-thousand runners were taking part in the Skyway 10K. At least 31 people died. At around 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, Kristen Watts, a 52-year-old from Sarasota, drove through the closed toll plaza on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, according to the Florida . "Bill DeYoung's story of the construction of the original and second span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, of the accident in 1980 that destroyed it, and of John Lerro, the harbor pilot steering the Summit Venture that struck the bridge, is spellbinding and reads like a mystery."Robert Kerstein, author of Key West on the Edge Now days, the bridge is equipped with a bumper system around its supports, and flashing lights and warning systems that shut it down in hazardous weather. Winds gusting up to 60 mph. The bridge's support pier was no match for the 20,000-ton ship. This morning around 9 a.m. Watts crashed the trooper's SUV. skywaydisaster.com is owned and operated by phillip aisheo and associates, 2019-2022. all rights reserved. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was credited with protecting runners on the Skyway Bridge on Sunday when it collided with an onrushing vehicle. Thirty-five people died when the bridge over Tampa Bay that joined St. Petersburg and Bradenton in Florida collapsed after it . According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a Sarasota woman drove through barricades and endangered participants in the Skyway 10K on Sunday morning, until she . I was kept up to date throughout the ordeal by Mr Lorenzo and his staff All of us want to tell you and your team Thank You for all the hard work that you accomplished on behalf of our family. [2] It was built in 1976 by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. of Nagasaki, Japan. A glimpse of the crash scene that stopped a Sarasota woman's BMW from plowing through barricades and endangering participants in Sunday's Skyway 10K. The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, often referred to as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge or the Sunshine Skyway, consists of a pair of long beam bridges with a central cable-stayed bridge that spans Lower Tampa Bay to connect St. Petersburg, Florida to Terra Ceia. 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