I-71 NB Reopens After Vehicle Falls Off Bridge
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UPDATE: Interstate 71 reopens to traffic after a vehicle fell off the East Broad Street bridge and onto the freeway.
COLUMBUS, Ohio—A portion of Interstate 71 northbound in Downtown was closed for more than an hour Tuesday afternoon.
NBC 4 reported with the FAST FACTS.
Apparently, a vehicle fell off the bridge of East Broad Street on to I-71 northbound.
Northbound and southbound lanes at the Long Street exit were closed shortly after 12:30 p.m.
CPD reported southbound lanes as closed when the accident happened. Southbound lanes were seen open on traffic cameras at 12:45 p.m.
Northbound lanes reopened to traffic at 1:50 p.m.
A witness said the vehicle was exiting I-71 NB onto East Broad Street when the driver grabbed his chest and bounced off the far-left wall. The witness said the driver crossed East Broad Street traffic while accelerating. The vehicle jumped the curb and went over the wall on the north side of the East Broad Street bridge. The witness said it didn’t look like the driver hit any other vehicles.
Ladder truck 8 from Columbus Division of Fire on Long Street was returning from another run when the car fell onto I-71 in front of the truck.
Reports indicated the driver was transported to Grant Medical Center in critical condition.
Police confirmed that the driver had a medical condition before the crash.
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Reader Reactions
There is two left turning lanes off that exit. This man was in the far left turn lane and my vehicle was in the left(middle turning lane). I saw that something was wrong because he first stopped his car by running it into the wall off the 71 Broad St. Exit. Then the light was red, I sat there for a second watching him, and he then stepped on the gas peddle and skid his car up against the wall about 30 feet and driving straight over the guarded wall on Broad (over onto the 71 N) . I was so scared for him, but yet in those situations, you never know what is happening. I am so happy that I was observant instead of impatient because if I just ignored the situation I could have been turning right in front of him instead of waiting. I am happy that he is in the care of the hospital and is alive. I wish the best for him.
WOW if person survives that they have a story to tell the rest of their life.
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