The Weather Companys primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. After falling. In 1980, the M/V Summit Venture, an empty phosphate freighter headed for Tampa to load cargo, struck a pier supporting the southbound span, causing the bridge to collapse. He was an incredibly kind man.. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was credited with protecting runners on the Skyway Bridge on Sunday when it collided with an onrushing vehicle. 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. "This bus went past me going about 30 miles an hour. Support WUSF now by giving monthly, or make a one-time donation online. Only 1 man survived. the impact usually breaks bones and ruptures organs. On May 9, 1980, tragedy struck. For a free legal consultation, call 833-552-7274 We update our main status every 5 minutes from FL511. The freighter Summit Venture slammed into the bridge over Tampa Bay. 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. 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. 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. He never forgave himself, Lerro's widow, Roswitha Lerro, told the Times. Thirty-five people died when the bridge over Tampa Bay that joined St. Petersburg and Bradenton in Florida collapsed after it . The bridge's support pier was no match for the 20,000-ton ship. New Sunshine Skyway Bridge The Interstate 275 was being built through St. Petersburg during the 1980s. The replacement Sunshine Skyway opened in 1987, and still carries commuters and travelers across the bay. Waves churned into white caps. Human arm found in gator's mouth in Florida's. Published: Mar. 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. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. PETERSBURG, FL The Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse occurred 42 years ago Monday when a freighter smashed into the span, resulting in 35 deaths. Wind, rain and fog combined to create hazardous conditions. The pier was destroyed and the roadway above crashed into the waters of Tampa Bay. 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 died that day. MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. Authorities say a drunk driver crashed nearly head-on into a Florida Highway Patrol trooper in . An FHP trooper used her vehicle and put herself face to face with danger. 35 people were killed. "I almost decided not to go across the bridge, but I kept going. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was initially planned to be excluded from the interstate. Refresh this page for the latest data. Remnants of the old bridge can still be seen in what is now the fishing pier. Therefore, the act of God defense didnt apply. Subscribe to TB Reporter. A 26-year veteran of the agency, Schuck aimed her patrol vehicle into the path of an oncoming car that had . As the ship moved closer to the bridge, though, it was hit with a sudden downpour. The lawsuits asserted the accident was caused by the negligence of the ships owner and its crew. It crossed Tampa Bay and ran from St. Petersburg to Bradenton. Over 41 years ago, on May 9, 1980, one of the worst maritime disasters in Tampa Bay's history occurred. A rogue storm racing across the Gulf that morning brought with it driving horizontal rain, hurricane force winds, and near zero-visibility. It had been raining off and on. Pilots should know the configuration of the channel, tides and local weather. OPP closed one lane of traffic to remove the vehicle . A 1,297-foot chunk of the highway collapsed, and six cars, one pickup truck and a bus fell 150 feet to the water. "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 . Divers spent about 5 hours searching and bringing 18 bodies up from the bottom of the bay of that day, until weather hampered the recovery search. 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. 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. A report issued nearly one year later by the National Transportation Safety Board would place the blame squarely on the weather, and human error in responding to it. 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. 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. Indian Rocks Beach. 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. (LISTEN: The Weather Channel Podcast Talks About the Skyway Bridge Tragedy). 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Read all Writer Steve Yerrid Stars Bill DeYoung Leslie Spencer A violent storm shook the waves so hard that a freighter, the Summit Venture, struck the Sunshine Skyway Bridge at 7:33 a.m. Several passenger cars, a pickup truck and a Greyhound bus toppled 150 feet into the water. SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Thirty-five years ago today, a cargo ship struck the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay. According to the Ontario Provincial Police's highway safety. Sunshine Skyway Bridge accident: Scenes from . Lerro made some adjustments to the ship's course. Wrongful death claims were filed by the survivors of those who perished. FLORIDA NEWS | The latest headlines from Florida. PINELLAS COUNTY - The northbound lanes of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge were closed for a bitRead More. With radar visibility still hampered by rainfall, he watched ahead for visuals to guide him. They determined the crew had committed many violations of the navigation rules. A monument was created in St. Petersburg in honor of the victims. One man survived. MacIntire was the only person who went over the edge and survived. 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. Lastly, a claim was filed by Floridas Department of Transportation for millions of dollars in damages to the bridge. Drunk driver crashes into FHP trooper near the Skyway 10K An FHP trooper used her vehicle and put herself face to face with danger. Twenty-three men died. Drunk driver crashes into FHP trooper near the Skyway 10K. Furthermore, he was relying on the special knowledge of the pilot who was directing the ship at the time of the accident. 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. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a Sarasota woman drove through barricades and endangered participants in the Skyway 10K on Sunday morning, until she . 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 . Filed Under: Community Tagged With: boating accidents, Tampa. "It was raining very, very hard," Wesley Maclntire, 56, told the St. Petersburg Times after the incident. Within two minutes eight vehicles dropped 150 feet from the shredded apex of the bridge and hit the water. The cost for the bridge itself totaled $17 million. On May 9, 1980, tragedy struck. FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon has the story. Though the blinding rain, drivers in the southbound lanes were unable to see the missing roadway ahead. The crash closed the northbound Skyway for three hours, the Florida Highway Patrol said. 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. After the disaster, a taller, cable-stayed bridge was constructed. Many drivers passing over the bridge have reported strange, unexplained happenings in the years since the tragedy. According to deputies,. 6, 2022 at 10:14 AM PST. Police were called to the Toronto bound lanes of the Garden City Skyway Bridge just after 11am today for a report of an abandoned car, and reports of a person jumping. 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. Just after he threw his two quarters into the tollbooth basket, he would later testify, the steady rain turned cyclonic. I hope he found forgiveness for himself in the end. Instead of leaving the channel and anchoring when the weather grew worse, the ship continued its course. The Greyhound with 26 people aboard - including the Tuskegee students - was the last to fall. When the Summit was heading toward the bridge, there was only light rainfall. The 609-foot Summit Venture freighter collided . 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. Buoys guiding the pilot through the channel were no longer visible with the naked eye or on radar. Thirty-five others died. In cases of significant inebriation, like the drunk driver's 0.27 BAC in the Skyway crash, the body is on the brink of alcohol poisoning. (Status last updated: November 7th, 2022 at 5:40pm) Longboat Key. 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. Around 7:31, he ordered the speed of the ship lowered. The bridge's support pier was no match for the 20,000-ton ship. Winds. 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. Sunshine Skyway Bridge. As conditions worsened, it continued toward the bridge instead of redirecting. Lerro approached the critical bend on a ship weighing nearly 20,000 tons battered by winds of nearly 60 mph. The bus was gone.". Damages were calculated, including those to the bridge, and all remaining claims were compromised and settled. MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - A Sarasota woman has been arrested and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper is in the hospital with serious injuries after a . any duplication in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright laws. 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. May 8, 1980: "St. Petersburg, Fla. (UPI) A 608-foot phosphate freighter fighting a hurricane-force thunder squall today rammed the Sunshine Skyway bridge, ripping down a section of the span and knocking a Greyhound bus and several cars into Tampa Bay. 1 min read. 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. A documentary was made about the bridge disaster in 2019 and can be viewed online. Saturday marks 40 years since the 19,734-ton Summit Venture freighter slammed into the old Skyway bridge. An incident on the QEW in St. Catharines earlier today. The MV Summit Venture was a bulk carrier [1] that is best known for colliding into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in 1980. Saint Petersburg. I followed it over the hump of the bridge. 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. be nice. A personal injury claim was also filed by the pickup driver, the only survivor. Rain blowing sideways. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WWSB) - The woman accused of driving through barricades on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge March 6, crashing into a state trooper's vehicle, was three times over the legal DUI . Drivers may even blackout, or exhibit profound confusion. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of news and events by email. This morning around 9 a.m. Watts crashed the trooper's SUV. Carson Cooper has become a favorite of WUSF listeners as the host of "Morning Edition" on WUSF 89.7 since he took the job in 2000. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is one .. MTO Camera from 11:26am. skyway bridge collapse disaster 7:33 am., friday, may 9, 1980 a ship crashes into the skyway and knocks it down, 35 die. 35 people died that day. Six cars, a truck, and a Greyhound Bus plunged into the waters below. Trooper Toni Schuck crashed her patrol SUV into a woman's vehicle to stop it from hitting runners participating in the Skyway 10k on Sunday morning. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is currentlyopen. A freight ship crashed into the support columns, causing 1,200 feet of the bridge to collapse. Wind gusts in excess of 80 miles per hour engulfed first the ship and then the bridge as well, resulting in a deadly combination. Most of those who experienced the 1980 tragedy firsthand and lived to tell about it have since died, including MacIntire, Hornbuckle and Lerro. A foggy 54-car pileup on the new bridge killed one person and injured two dozen others in December, 1996. But it hasn't been without its dangers, either. Six cars, a truck and a Greyhound bus plummeted 150 feet into the choppy waters of. Senator. Boating is a favorite pastime of many Florida residents. The road had been closed for the Skyway 10k. Originally built in 1954 with 2 lanes, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was 15 miles long. "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. Then I could see the ship and the end of the bridge was breaking off. 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. Wind, rain and fog combined to create hazardous conditions. The National Weather Service had noted storms moving in at 5:30 that morning, but the NTSB report faulted forecasters for not issuing any warnings. FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon has the story. He worked hard to get the most out of my case. Florida Highway Patrol Watch Next U.S. The pier was destroyed and the roadway above crashed into the waters of Tampa Bay. What you need to know ahead of Florida's elections. open. The current Sunshine Skyway opened in 1987 and is the . At 7:34 a.m. Friday, May 9, 1980, Wesley MacIntire was driving his Ford Courier pickup over the southbound span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, headed for his job at a meat-delivery business. Winds gusting up to 60 mph. He fights for people's rights and I would hire him again if I ever needed a lawyer. Anthony Gattus didn't like what he. (AP Photo/Jackie Green) At a Glance The freighter Summit Venture slammed into the bridge over Tampa Bay. Such sudden squall lines aren't uncommon along Florida's coasts. I couldn't stop. Thirty-five people died, from blunt force trauma, drowning or a combination of the two. The other victims were recovered later. 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. The non-jury trial lasted 2 weeks before the court ruled that the captain and crew were guilty. 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. Following the accident, replacement or repair of the bridge was contemplated. some live for minutes before they drown." Several wrongful death claims were tried once the captain and crew were found responsible for the ships wreck. At Lorenzo & Lorenzo, well help you fight for the best outcome possible. But today as we drive across the impressive structure, we remember its dark history. An experienced Tampa lawyer can help you navigate the murky litigation waters when theres an accident. I'm very grateful for the work he did on my case. A New Port Richey woman was killed in the fatal wrong-way crash that closed the Skyway Friday morning. 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. Truck driver Sukhvinder Rai has been sentenced to a year in jail for crashing his dump truck with its bucket raised into the Burlington Skyway resulting in the bridge being closed for four days on . 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. 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 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. 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. 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. Published: 9:32 AM EST March 6, 2022. At least 31 people died. At this point, their judgment is already compromised and they lack the ability to balance themselves. A new bridge was opened in 1987, which stands 430 feet above Tampa Bay. MANATEE COUNTY, FL As the Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate a fatal wrong . The ship slammed into a secondary support pier of the vast bridge. The Bays narrow and restrictive channels required a turn less than a mile from the mammoth bridge. Haunted Happenings. 35 others were killed. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM. Over 41 years ago, on May 9, 1980, one of the worst maritime disasters in Tampa Bays history occurred. According to Tampa locals and tourists alike, the 35 souls who perished in the crash of 1980 never left. Tampa Bay Times Tampa Bay Times FLORIDA. skywaydisaster.com is owned and operated by phillip aisheo and associates, 2019-2022. all rights reserved. It inverted and struck the bay on its roof. The highway has been shut down Sunday, for the Skyway 10K race. 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. A freight ship crashed into the support columns, causing 1,200 feet of the bridge to collapse. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images), Powerball Odds: Youre More Likely To Be Hit By Extreme Weather, The Only Way To Win With Daylight Saving Time, National Park Service Gives Warning It Shouldnt Have To: Dont Lick This Toad, Big Bear Goes In Search Of Cookies In Cafe, Worlds Longest Passenger Train Is Over A Mile Long, Rune Carvings Prompt Belief That Vikings Sailed To Inland Oklahoma From Scandinavia, Backpack-Wearing Rats Could Be Your Next Rescuer. More than 1,200 fee. Drivers make the commute across the iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge every day, traveling between Pinellas and Manatee Counties. The race was wrapping up close to Mile Marker 6 near the toll plaza on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Maritime law requires ships to have pilots aboard because of their special knowledge of local conditions. One Tampa resident reports an especially spine-tingling encounter on the haunted Sunshine Skyway Bridge. [2] It was built in 1976 by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. of Nagasaki, Japan. 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. - Read the St. Petersburg Times next-day account of the accident- Visit a Skyway Bridge Memorial- The Skyway's Lone Survivor- Get to know the NEW Sunshine Skyway Bridge- FLORIDA MATTERS: Jumping Off the Skyway Bridge -- and Surviving, Credit: Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg Times) 1980. As I approached the high point of the bridge, the whole bridge started to sway. At around 7 a.m., visibility in the shipping channel was reported to be 3 to 4 miles. 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. A violent storm shook the waves so hard that a freighter, the Summit Venture, struck the Sunshine Skyway Bridge at 7:33 a.m. Several passenger cars, a pickup truck and a Greyhound bus toppled 150 feet into the water. The crash happened around 9 a.m. Sunday by the toll plaza on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Have A Great Day and the Lord be with all of you-always! A second span parallel to the bridge was added later in 1971 to accommodate the increased traffic. 40 years later, Frankie VanDeBoe and Steve Yerrid present a new documentary The Skyway Bridge Disaster relives that unforgettable day and its aftermath, taking viewers onto the bridge, inside the ship and into the courtroom through the experiences of the people involved, local leaders, and Yerrid himself. And then he saw it: The bow of the ship was headed straight toward the bridge's support structure. 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. The captain of the Summit Venture argued that it wasnt his fault the ship crashed into the bridge. The judge concluded that the ships owner and crew were responsible. Bradenton. When the Morandi road bridge collapsed in Genoa, Italy in 2018 the same thing happened- some vehicles saw the gap and stopped in time and tried to wave down oncoming traffic, while other drivers,. The pickup. The bridge collapsed and sent cars and a Greyhound bus hurdling into the water. Updated: 1:49 PM EST March 7, 2022. The ships owner was also denied the right to limit its liability to the value of the Summit Venture. 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. What you need to know to prepare and stay informed during a storm. Its also widely used for commercial business. Even though he was quite experienced, hed only sailed through Tampa Bay once before. 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. I appreciated the personal attention I received from Mr George Lorenzo during this difficult time. Today is the 39th anniversary of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster. He claimed it was an act of God, meaning the storm caused the boating accident. WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | "John definitely was the 36th victim of the disaster," Yerrid said. I just slid off, hit the ship and dropped into the water.". Carson has worked in Tampa Bay radio for three decades. skywaydisaster.com .