Uncertainty prevailed after steel beam collapse

By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: November 11, 2008

When a steel bridge beam collapsed in Gainesville last month, there was uncertainty and confusion; many were feared trapped, dead or injured.

The beam fell onto the shoulder of U.S. 29 around noon Oct. 6. A bridge was being demolished to make way for new construction supposed to ease traffic where U.S. 29 meets Interstate 66.

Police had already diverted away from the demolition zone when the incident happened.

For about 10 minutes after the collapse, however, exactly what happened was anybody's best guess. Emergency scanners were buzzing with reports of multiple casualties at the demolition site.

Reports of mass road closures flooded frequencies used by county school bus operators, who worried about not being able to pick up students on time.

Reporters on Washington area radio stations were saying traffic in the area was at a complete stop.

"For us it wasn't chaotic, it was confusing," said Elizabeth Bahrns, Prince William County spokeswoman. She works in the county's communications office and operates the PWCAN emergency alert system—a Web-based system that can send out emergency information to resident's cell phones and e-mail boxes.

An idea born from the Washington Area Council of Governments, Bahrns said they use the system extensively when it comes to traffic problems.

Bahrns said she wanted to make an announcement over the system when the beam fell but information was still too murky, and she didn't want to exacerbate the situation by reporting something false. "One of the first reports we had was of a man inside of a truck under a collapsed beam," she said.

It soon became clear there was no trapped man. A construction worker suffered minor injuries when the beam struck him in the head.

In hindsight, the incident raised questions about how emergency information is distributed and how motorists using their cell phones made the situation worse.

Virginia State and Prince William police were already at the demolition site when the beam fell, said Avitar Singh, project manager for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Singh was not there when the beam collapsed, but he did call a local radio station with traffic information as soon as he learned no one was seriously injured, he said.

After he arrived it was his job to help coordinate with Prince William Fire and Rescue crews. They too didn't know the severity of the situation until they got there.

In times of uncertainty, rescue crews usually send both fire trucks and ambulances to accident scenes. It is better to err on the side of caution than to not be prepared, Prince William Fire Chief Dale McCleese said.

When he arrived, McCleese said he ordered more fire and rescue crews to the area to secure other loose beams on the bridge. There were increasing fears that at least one of the beams could spring loose and hit an oncoming car on I-66.

That never happened and the interstate was never closed during the height of the incident, as was so widely reported.

McCleese said there is "no doubt" in his mind cell phones played a major role in that day's confusion. "There's multiple different areas where 911 cell callers could be calling from," he said.

"Most of the calls came from passerbys seeing things not stopping. They also could have come from construction workers with their cell phones," said the chief, adding the only people who are trained to correctly report information are the police, fire and rescue crews.

Hours later, crews closed the eastbound portion of I-66 to move the collapsed beam and business was back to normal.

Officials agree getting the right information during the height of a situation can be difficult in an age of instant information, where anybody and everybody can report what they see.

McCleese said callers can help them by stopping, rolling down the window and describing to the 911 operator what they are seeing. "It's usual for a cell phone caller to not even know where they're at," he said.

The chief encourages motorists who witness accidents to stop and ask if anyone is hurt. Then be able to provide a good description of the area, using the name of a cross street near where the crash happened.

If the motorist sees someone get out of the car, there is a good chance only a police officer will be needed at the accident scene, McCleese said.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.