One of two construction workers who survived the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore on March 26 is alleging that workers were not told to evacuate as the Dali cargo ship approached a support beam on the bridge.
Attorneys representing Julio Cervantes Suarez told reporters on Monday that workers were taking a break in their cars on the bridge when the cargo ship crashed into the bridge, causing the collapse that killed six construction workers and injured two others. Authorities are still working to recover two of the six deceased after a fourth body was recovered on Monday.
“He fought for his life, and he survived,” attorney Justin Miller told reporters of Suarez during a Monday press conference recorded by FOX 45 Baltimore.
Attorney L. Chris Stewart told the outlet that Suarez was able to narrowly escape the collapse with his life because the windows of his vehicle were manual. Suarez was able to roll his windows down and escape when his car plunged into the Patapsco River while others were trapped.
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FBI Evidence Response Team members work at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (FBI)
“They were living the American dream. Fixing America’s infrastructure,” Stewart said of the workers on the bridge that day, adding that the six deaths resulting from the collapse were “all preventable.”
Stewart noted that some of the workers were related, and Suarez lost some of his family members in the freak collision.
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Attorneys Justin Miller, left, and L. Chris Stewart speak about their client Julio Suarez’s fight for survival during the Key Bridge collapse on March 26. (WBFF)
“It’s left him with severe mental and emotional pain and suffering,” Stewart said of his client. “He lost family members in that. Some of the workers were related, including some of his family who perished.”
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The Francis Scott Key Bridge is seen after collapsing into the water in Baltimore on March 26, 2024. A cargo ship struck a support beam on the bridge, causing it to fall into the Patapsco River. (Baltimore Fire Rescue)
Suarez does not know how to swim but was able to hang on to a piece of debris in the water, Stewart said.
“He survived because his window was manual. He was able to roll down the window and escape. And then he was able to hang on to some drifting steel and survive,” the attorney explained.
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According to reports, rescuers are still searching for people, while two survivors have been pulled from the Patapsco River. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Attorneys on Monday announced that they will be conducting an independent investigation into Grace Ocean, which owns the Dali. The FBI also announced on Monday that it has opened a criminal investigation into the collapse.
Grace Ocean filed for legal protection of its assets earlier this month, attorneys noted during Monday’s press conference.
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The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a major span over the Patapsco River in Baltimore, collapsed after it was struck by a large cargo ship, prompting a massive emergency response for multiple people in the water in Maryland on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (Jasper Colt/USA Today)
“The Casualty was not due to any fault, neglect, or want of care on the part of Petitioners, the Vessel, or any persons or entities for whose acts Petitioners may be responsible,” the petition states. “…Petitioners claim exoneration from liability for any and all losses or damage arising out of the Casualty and from any and all claims for damages that have been or may be filed. Petitioners further allege that they have valid defenses to any and all such claims.”
An attorney representing Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital.
Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to audrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants.
