I-40 Bridge Disaster

The I-40 bridge disaster was a bridge collapse that occurred southeast of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, United States at 7:45 a.m. on May 26, 2002. Freight barges being transported on the Arkansas River collided with a pier supporting the Interstate 40 road bridge crossing the river. The resulting failure of the supports caused a section of the bridge to collapse, killing 14 people and injuring another 11. The collision was determined to have resulted from the captain of the barges' towboat losing consciousness.

Joe Dedmon, captain of the towboat Robert Y. Love, was transporting barges on the Arkansas River. While traversing the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, Dedmon experienced a syncope and lost control of the tow. This, in turn, caused the barges he was towing to collide with a pier off the Interstate 40 bridge crossing the reservoir. A 580-foot (180 m) section of the bridge collapsed, plunging into the water. It was raining heavily at the time of the collapse, but the rain subsided soon afterward. By the time traffic stopped and individuals became aware of the missing road, eight passenger vehicles and three semi-trucks had fallen into the river or on collapsed bridge pieces. Fourteen people died and 11 others were injured when the automobiles and tractor-trailers fell from the bridge. Survivors were aided by fishermen who were participating in a bass fishing tournament in the river near the bridge.

Three people that had fallen into the river in their vehicles were able to get out and swim to shore. While participating in a bass fishing tournament, fishermen on the water saw the disaster occurring and attempted to aid the victims and stop the cars and trucks they witnessed driving towards the bridge failure. One fisherman along the river shot a flare at a tractor-trailer driver in an attempt to get the truck to stop. Others threw ropes at individuals in vehicles to attempt to pull them from the water.

The two-time convicted felon William James Clark impersonated a U.S. Army captain at the disaster scene for two days. Clark's efforts included directing FBI agents and appropriating vehicles and equipment for the rescue effort, before fleeing the scene. Clark was later apprehended in Canada.

An estimated 20,000 vehicles per day were rerouted for about two months while crews rebuilt the bridge. Traffic resumed July 29, 2002—two months after the disaster. The reopening set a new national record for such a project, which would normally be expected to take six months. More details