CINCINNATI — Tons of concrete and steel covered the southbound lanes of a major Cincinnati artery Tuesday after an overpass collapse during demolition work left one worker dead, a tractor-trailer driver injured and police considering what the potential toll might have been had the accident occurred amid heavy traffic.
The removal of debris from Interstate 75 began Tuesday afternoon and was completed by nighttime, allowing southbound lanes to reopen. Minor repairs were made, the state Department of Transportation said.
Cincinnati authorities said casualties could have been much higher had Monday night’s accident occurred at a busy time on I-75, which carries more than 178,000 vehicles a day through the area about 5 miles north of the Ohio River.
“The situation could have been significantly worse,” Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell said Tuesday. “It’s just timing that we only had one fatality.”
Authorities identified the worker who was killed as Brandon William Carl, 35, of Augusta, Ky. Fire officials said his body was recovered from rubble with the help of air bags and special equipment early Tuesday.
A preliminary police report identified the injured driver as Eric J. Meyers, of Howell, Mich. He was taken to a hospital with what were described as minor injuries. His truck slammed into the overpass as the debris landed.
“In a matter of seconds, his fate would have probably been different,” Blackwell said.
