more tragedy http://www.team4news.com/Global/story.asp?S=472985 Deadly Bridge Collapse The death may continue to climb this morning in that horrible accident near Port Isabel where part of the Queen Isabella Causeway has collapsed. At least one person is dead, another is reportedly trapped in a truck. Several others are missing. Coast Guard spokesman Joshua Sharkey says several cars and trucks are submerged in the Laguna Madre. At least 13 people had been rescued. The Coast Guard at South Padre Island was notified after two o'clock this morning that the tug "Brown Water Five" and its four barges had struck the Queen Isabella Causeway. The force of the impact sent 100 to 200 foot sections of the bridge to break off and then several cars plummeted into the bay. Several Coast Guard boats, a helicopter and divers have been on the scene all morning. Eyewitnesses fishing nearby heard the impact and then watched in horror as several cars fell into the Laguna Madre below. The U.S. Coast Guard, Texas Parks and Wildlife and others are on boats trying to rescue the drivers from the water. Some say as many as nine cars fell into the bay. Several people were taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville where one man died. A second victim passed away a short time ago. Eyewitness Lisa Flores of Edinburg and a friend were fishing on the pier in Port Isabel when they saw the accident happened. "I heard a loud noise. People were running off the pier, they were scared. Some guys went to the end of the pier to see if they could jump in and see anyone," says Flores. They say the shock of the collapse forced everyone to leave the pier. They say they noticed when they arrived at the pier that the lights on the causeway were off. Several eyewitnesses have told Team 4 News the same thing ... that the lights were out and may have been out for at least a week. The Queen Isabella Causeway is the only road connecting South Padre Island to the mainland. It opened in 1974 and replaced a much older two lane draw bridge.
DAMN! I'm from the Brownsville area. My mother called me this morning to tell about this! If any of you have ever been to S.Padre, you know how tall the tall part is, thats where the barge hit under! Geeez, it must be 200 feet up. Reports say the water is too rough right now to rescue cars in the bay. I also heard 5 people have already died. Whats even more messed up is thats the ONLY way to and from the Island!
