Baltimore bridge collapse: Full news conference

SO MANY MORE VEGGIES IN IT.

YEAH, YOU GOT A GREEN.

WE ARE BREAKING INTO THE COURAGE RIGHT NOW TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE QUAY BRIDGE COLLAPSE IN BALTIMORE.

AND WE ARE STANDING BY RIGHT NOW FOR A NEWS CONFERENCE WITH MARYLAND GOVERNOR WESTMORE.

LET’S GO RIGHT NOW.

THIS MORNING, OUR STATE IS IN SHOCK, AND I WANT TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE, TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.

I’M IN AWE OF YOU.

I’M IN AWE OF YOUR COURAGE.

I’M IN AWE OF YOUR STRENGTH.

I’M IN AWE OF EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.

YOU SAW CRISIS AND YOU SAID, WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

AND OUR RESPONSE TEAMS ARE DOING EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO RESCUE AND RECOVER THE VICTIMS OF THIS COLLAPSE.

LITERALLY AS WE SPEAK, PEOPLE WHO, AS WE SPEAK, ARE OUT.

THERE ARE DIVERS.

OUR AIR ASSETS, PEOPLE WHO RIGHT NOW ARE WORKING TO SAVE LIVES AND ARE DOING IT BECAUSE THE STATE ASKED.

AND WE WILL UPDATE THE PUBLIC AS THE WORK CONTINUES.

SO OUR PARTNERS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF GOVERNMENT.

I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A LONG NIGHT.

WE STARTED COORDINATING IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSED.

WE’VE BEEN STANDING TOGETHER EVERY STEP OF THE WAY FROM OUR COUNTY LEADERSHIP TO OUR CITY LEADERSHIP TO OUR STATE LEADERSHIP, TO OUR FEDERAL LEADERSHIP AND I’M GRATEFUL TO

CALL EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, NOT JUST COLLEAGUES, BUT I’M GRATEFUL TO CALL YOU FRIENDS.

AND TO THE PEOPLE OF BALTIMORE AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE 6.3 MILLION MARYLANDERS WHO CALL OUR STATE HOME.

I RECOGNIZE THAT MANY OF US ARE HURTING RIGHT NOW.

I RECOGNIZE THAT MANY OF US ARE SCARED RIGHT NOW.

AND SO I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHERE EVERYTHING STANDS.

WE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WE ARE QUICKLY GATHERING DETAILS.

THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION POINTS TO AN ACCIDENT.

WE HAVEN’T SEEN ANY CREDIBLE EVIDENCE OF A TERRORIST ATTACK.

OUR ADMINISTRATION IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH LEADERS FROM ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY TO RESPOND TO THIS CRISIS AND NOT BUT JUST BY ADDRESSING THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH, BUT ALSO BY

BUILDING A STATE THAT IS MORE RESILIENT AND A STATE THAT’S MORE SAFE.

THAT IS OUR PLEDGE AND THAT’S OUR COMMITMENT.

AND WE’RE GOING TO KEEP THAT COMMITMENT.

AND LASTLY, TO THE VICTIMS OF THIS TRAGEDY AND THEIR LOVED ONES, ALL OF OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN.

WE FEEL YOUR LOSS.

WE’RE THINKING OF YOU.

AND WE WILL ALWAYS BE THINKING OF YOU.

WE PRAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WHO ARE ON THE KEY BRIDGE, AND WE PRAY FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY THIS TRAGEDY AND THEIR FAMILIES AND ALL OF THEIR LOVED ONES.

BUT MARYLAND.

WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS BECAUSE THAT IS THE MARYLAND SPIRIT AND THAT’S WHAT MARYLAND IS MADE OF.

WE ARE MARYLAND TOUGH, AND WE ARE BALTIMORE STRONG.

SO IN THE FACE OF HEARTBREAK, WE COME TOGETHER.

WE EMBRACE ONE ANOTHER AND WE COME BACK STRONGER.

THAT’S WHAT WE’VE ALWAYS DONE.

THAT’S WHAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO.

AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO GET DONE TOGETHER.

AND WE’RE GOING TO PRAY FOR BALTIMORE.

AND I’D LIKE TO TURN THIS OVER TO SENATOR VAN HOLLEN, WHO’S DONE A REMARKABLE JOB ON OUR FELLOW DELEGATION IN PROVIDING SUPPORT.

SO THANK YOU, SENATOR.

THANK YOU, GOVERNOR.

AS THE GOVERNOR SAID, WE COME TOGETHER, WE COME TOGETHER IN BALTIMORE.

WE COME TOGETHER IN MARYLAND.

FIRST OF ALL, OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO ALL THOSE WHO WERE ON THE BRIDGE AND THEIR LOVED ONES.

WE PRAY FOR THEM.

OUR GRATITUDE GOES OUT TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO, AS WE SPEAK, ARE OUT THERE CONTINUING TO CONDUCT SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS.

I WANT TO THANK THE GOVERNOR, THE LOCAL, THE MAYOR, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, ALL THE PEOPLE GATHERED HERE AS PART OF TEAM BALTIMORE AND TEAM MARYLAND AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS WITH

THEM AS A PARTNER, THE COAST GUARD AS WE SPEAK, IS ALSO PART OF THIS MISSION.

COAST GUARD CUTTER, US COAST GUARD AVIATION ASSETS I SPOKE TWICE TODAY WITH SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION PETE BUTTIGIEG.

PETE BUTTIGIEG HAS PLEDGED THAT THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO VERY QUICKLY RELEASE EMERGING RESPONSE FUNDS FOR THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT.

THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATOR IS ON HIS WAY TO BALTIMORE.

IF HE’S NOT HERE ALREADY, THEY WILL BE RELEASING THOSE EARLY FUNDS ONCE ALL ALL THE PARTIES ARE FULLY ENGAGED.

SECOND, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD.

I TALKED TO THE CHAIR THIS MORNING.

SHE AND HER TEAM WILL BE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION OF WHAT HAPPENED.

AND FINALLY, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS NAVAL ASSETS FOR LOOKING BELOW THE SURFACE AND CLEARING ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO BE PART OF THE EFFORT.

THE GOVERNOR IS LEADING TEAM MARYLAND, THE MAYOR AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.

OF COURSE, TEAM BALTIMORE.

BUT I’M JUST HERE TO SAY, TOGETHER WITH BEN CARDIN, SENATOR CARDIN, AND CONGRESSMAN FUMÉ AND OTHERS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS YOUR PARTNER IN THIS EFFORT.

THANK YOU.

AND AGAIN, TO THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT CITY, WE’RE WITH YOU.

WE LOVE YOU.

WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.

TROOPER JACQUES.

THANK YOU, GOVERNOR.

MORNING AGAIN.

PAUL WIEDEFELD, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION.

JUST A FEW UPDATES SINCE OUR MEETING THIS MORNING.

UM, THE THE CREW THAT WAS OUT THERE WORKING WAS BASICALLY REPAIRING POTHOLES JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND, THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH A STRUCTURAL ISSUE AT ALL IN THE FACILITY.

UM, AT THIS TIME, ONE PERSON HAS BEEN RESCUED AND SO FAR AND OUR CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS CONTINUE IN TERMS OF THAT, ENGINEERS ARE ON SITE RIGHT NOW DETERMINING BOTH SOME OF THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES.

OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THE DEBRIS FIELD, AND WE’LL START TO WORK THAT, BUT WE’LL WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THE NTSB BEFORE WE TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION IN THAT AREA.

WITH THAT, I DID WANT TO INTRODUCE THE FBI FOR A FEW COMMENTS AS WELL.

HELLO.

MY NAME IS BILL DELBONO.

I’M THE SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE BALTIMORE FIELD OFFICE.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO SAY THAT OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO EVERYONE THAT IS IMPACTED BY THIS TRAGEDY, ESPECIALLY THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

ON BEHALF OF THE FBI, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE ARE WITH YOU.

WE ARE WITH BALTIMORE, AND WE’RE WITH THE PARTNERS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

THE FBI REGINA AHN VERY FIRST LOOKING AT AND ASSESSING THIS MATTER FROM AN INVESTIGATIVE STANDPOINT, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THERE IS NO SPECIFIC OR CREDIBLE INFORMATION TO SUGGEST

THAT THERE ARE TIES TO TERRORISM IN THIS INCIDENT.

THE FBI HAS BEEN PART OF THIS RESPONSE FROM THE BEGINNING.

WE WE CAME WITHIN ONE HOUR TO THE COMMAND POST AND QUICKLY LASHED UP WITH OUR VERY STRONG PARTNERS ALL ALONG THE WAY.

WE WILL BRING WHATEVER RESOURCES THAT THE FBI HAS TO BEAR.

WE’VE ALREADY BROUGHT OUR OUR CRISIS RESPONSE, OUR VICTIM SERVICES, AND JUST RECENTLY, OUR UNDERWATER SEARCH EVIDENCE RECOVERY TEAMS ARE ON SITE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO TO PROVIDE

ALL THOSE RESOURCES AS LONG AS IT TAKES.

AND AS THE INVESTIGATION GOES ON, WE WILL TAKE IT TO ITS LOGICAL CONCLUSION, ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS.

TO THE PEOPLE OF BALTIMORE, TO THE PUBLIC.

I ACTUALLY BE PATIENT AS WE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS AND AS INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE TO US.

AND LASTLY, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO, UH, IN THE FBI AND COUNTS ON THE FBI.

WE WILL ALWAYS BRING WHAT WE NEED TO THE PEOPLE OF BALTIMORE, AND WE ARE WITH YOU.

NEXT, I’D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE COAST GUARD.

GOOD MORNING.

THE COAST GUARD IS STILL ACTIVELY SEARCHING AT THIS TIME.

WE ARE USING RESPONSE BOAT CREWS FROM TWO OF OUR LOCAL COAST GUARD STATIONS.

ONE OF OUR HELO CREWS FROM AN AIR STATION, ATLANTIC CITY, AND ALSO ONE OF OUR CUTTER CREWS ON ONE OF OUR 87 FOOT PATROL BOATS.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS DURING THIS TRAGEDY.

THANK YOU.

GOVERNOR, WE WANT TO START FROM THIS SIDE.

WE’RE GOING TO START FROM THIS SIDE AS FAR AS YOU ARE AWARE, WAS THE COLLAPSE OF THAT BRIDGE INEVITABLE AS THAT SHIP HIT THAT PART OF THE BRIDGE?

NO, WE’RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF INVESTIGATING EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.

SO WE WE DON’T HAVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS INEVITABLE OR NOT.

NO STRUCTURAL ISSUE WITH THE BRIDGE?

NO.

THERE WERE, IN FACT, THE BRIDGE WAS ACTUALLY FULLY UP TO CODE.

SO WE HAVE NO FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WAS WHAT WHAT HAPPENED DURING THAT TIME.

GOVERNOR, IS ALL ALL SHIPPING IN AND OUT OF THE PORT NOW STOPPED COMPLETELY.

AND YOU HAVE ANY ESTIMATE VERY EARLY ON AS TO HOW LONG IT WILL BE BEFORE SHIPPING CAN RESUME TO THE PORT OF BALTIMORE.

YEAH.

WE DON’T HAVE, UH, WE DON’T HAVE ANY ESTIMATES ON TIMELINE BECAUSE.

RIGHT, RIGHT NOW OUR EXCLUSIVE FOCUS IS ON SAVING LIVES.

OUR EXCLUSIVE FOCUS IS ON SEARCH AND RESCUE.

GOVERNOR.

GOVERNOR, CAN YOU GIVE US A BETTER SENSE FOR THE NUMBER?

BECAUSE WE’VE HEARD I KNOW, MR.

WIEDEFELD SAID ONE HAD BEEN RESCUED, BUT EARLIER FROM BALTIMORE, WE HEARD THAT TWO HAVE BEEN RESCUED.

CAN YOU TELL US THE TOTAL NUMBERS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THAT MAY BE THAT YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR AND HOW MANY HAVE BEEN RESCUED?

WELL, WE.

THERE ARE EIGHT INDIVIDUALS.

UH, SIX ARE BEING SEARCHED FOR RIGHT NOW.

ONE IS AT, UH, WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND ONE IS NOT IN THE HOSPITAL THAT WE’RE SPEAKING TO.

SO SIX UNACCOUNTED FOR?

YES.

AND DOES THAT INVOLVE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IN VEHICLES THAT WENT IN THE WATER?

IS THAT JUST THE DO WE KNOW WE BELIEVE IT’S THE CONSTRUCTION CREW ONLY.

WHAT ABOUT SO WE DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYONE IN IN VEHICLES IN THE WATER.

NO, WE DO NOT BELIEVE SO.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

WE’LL TAKE QUESTIONS RIGHT HERE.

TAKE THIS QUESTION HERE, GOVERNOR.

TWO QUESTIONS QUICK.

HOW QUICKLY DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE AND WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU HEARD THE SCALE OF WHAT JUST OCCURRED AT THAT BRIDGE EARLIER?

WELL, I MEAN, I IT WAS, UH, I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY WITHIN MINUTES OF, OF, OF EVERYTHING LESS THAN AN HOUR WHEN I KNOW THAT MY PHONE FIRST RANG, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, FIRST FROM THE

MAYOR OF BALTIMORE AND ALSO FROM OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, UM, AND, AND IT WAS, UH, WE KNOW THE KEY BRIDGE I’VE WRITTEN OVER THE KEY BRIDGE COUNTLESS TIMES.

SO MANY OF US KNOW THE KEY BRIDGE BECAUSE IT IS OUR NORMAL COMMUTE.

THIS IS A PLACE THAT IS A NORMAL COMMUTE ROUTE FOR OVER 30,000 MARYLANDERS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND SO TO HEAR THE WORDS THAT THE KEY BRIDGE HAS COLLAPSED, IT’S SHOCKING.

UM, AND HEARTBREAKING.

AND IMMEDIATELY, UH, THE FIRST THOUGHT AND THE FIRST IDEAS GO BACK TO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PEOPLE.

WHERE ARE WE?

WHAT WAS THE IMPACT ON, ON, ON ON HUMAN LIFE?

UM, BUT FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US WHO ARE MARYLANDERS, THE WORDS THAT THE KEY BRIDGE IS GONE AND IT IT STILL SHAKES US BECAUSE FOR OVER FOR 47 YEARS, THAT’S ALL WE’VE KNOWN.

AND SO THIS IS, UH, THIS IS THIS IS, UH, NOT JUST NOT JUST UNPRECEDENTED FROM WHAT WE’RE SEEING.

AND WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT TODAY.

UM, IT’S HEARTBREAKING.

GOVERNOR, CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT THE CREW ON THE SHIP, UH, ALERTED AUTHORITIES THAT IT HAD LOST PROPULSION AND WAS IN TROUBLE?

UH, WE CAN WE CAN CONFIRM THAT, UH, THAT THE CREW, UH, NOTIFIED AND, UH, NOTIFIED AUTHORITIES OF A OF A POWER ISSUE.

YES.

AND THAT THEY HAD LOST POWER ON THE SHIP?

YES, SIR.

WAS THERE ANY ABILITY TO SHUT DOWN THE BRIDGE BEFORE IT HAPPENED?

YOU WANT TO TAKE THE QUESTION RIGHT HERE?

SORRY.

CAN YOU PLEASE, UH, REPEAT THE NUMBERS BEFORE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR SEVEN PEOPLE AND TWO HAVE BEEN RESCUED, AND NOW YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SIX PEOPLE.

BUT WHAT HAS BEEN RESCUED?

SO THREE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RESCUED IN TOTAL.

TURTLE BAY.

EXCUSE ME?

A TOTAL OF EIGHT.

ONE RESCUED AND IN HOSPITAL.

ONE, UH, NOT IN A HOSPITAL, BUT IT IS.

WE HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH THAT PERSON AND THEN SIX THAT WE ARE SEARCHING FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WORKING ON THE POTHOLE.

WITH ALL EIGHT OF THEM.

THE.

YES, THEY WERE ALL RELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM.

YES.

WE HEARD THAT MULTIPLE VEHICLES WENT INTO THE WATER.

ANY WORD ON HOW MANY VEHICLES WENT INTO THE WATER AND THE CONDITION OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE VEHICLE, NOT AT THIS TIME.

ALL RIGHT.

WE’LL SHIFT OVER HERE.

WAS THERE ANY WAY TO, UH, SHUT DOWN THE BRIDGE?

WAS THERE ENOUGH TIME FOR THAT DISTRESS CALL TO TRIGGER SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

YEAH.

THE THING THAT WE KNOW IS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN AS THE BOAT WAS COMING IN, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SHIP THAT WAS COMING IN AT AT EIGHT KNOTS.

UH, SO COMING IN AT A AT A AT A VERY, VERY RAPID SPEED.

UM, WE DO KNOW THAT THE INVESTIGATION IS, IS, IS CURRENTLY GOING ON, BUT I HAVE TO SAY I’M THANKFUL FOR THE FOLKS WHO, WHO ONCE THE YOU KNOW, ONCE THE WARNING CAME UP

AND ONCE NOTIFICATION CAME UP THAT THERE WAS A MAYDAY, WHO LITERALLY BY BEING ABLE TO STOP CARS FROM COMING OVER THE BRIDGE, UH, THESE.

PEOPLE ARE HEROES.

THEY SAVED LIVES.

THEY SAVED LIVES LAST NIGHT.

GO GO GO.

UM, THE FOCUS IS ON RESCUE NOW AND HUMANITY.

BUT LOOKING FORWARD, IS THERE ANY VISION?

FOR HOW LONG IT COULD POSSIBLY TAKE TO REMOVE THE WRECKAGE TO REBUILD, AND HOW IT COULD POSSIBLY BE DONE?

CAN YOU LOOK INTO THE FUTURE AT ALL AT THIS POINT?

THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG TERME BUILD.

IT’S GOING TO BE A BUILD THAT’S GOING TO REQUIRE FOR EVERY FACET AND EVERY ASPECT OF OUR SOCIETY.

UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN TELL YOU WE ARE GOING TO GET THIS DONE.

WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THIS IS, IS NOT JUST NOT JUST REBUILT, BUT THAT WE ARE GOING TO REBUILD IN A WAY THAT REMEMBERS THE PEOPLE WHO THIS TRAGEDY HAS IMPACTED.

AND ALSO DO IT IN A WAY THAT THAT HONORS THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT IT SERVES.

BUT BUT RIGHT NOW, I COULD NOT GIVE YOU ANY FORM OF ESTIMATE ON TIMING OR COST RIGHT NOW, UH, MY AND ALL OF OUR EXCLUSIVE FOCUS IS WE’RE JUST TRYING TO SAVE LIVES.

AND THE MAYOR TALK ON THE STATE OF EMERGENCY LOCALLY.

PLEASE.

YES.

THANK YOU.

LISTEN, WE KNOW THE GOVERNOR ISSUED A STATE OF EMERGENCY, BUT WE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL FELT THE NEED TO DO THAT, TOO, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO ENCUMBER WITH OUR FIRE

DEPARTMENT AND OTHER AGENCIES THAT WILL BE ABLE TO PULL DOWN SUPPORT FOR AS WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AGAIN, AS WE FOCUS RIGHT NOW ON SAVING LIVES AND WORKING THROUGH THIS UNSPEAKABLE

TRAGEDY, THE THE INTERIM, I KNOW THAT THERE’S OBVIOUSLY THE FOCUS IS ON THE RESCUE AND THE RECOVERY, BUT THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT THOROUGHFARE HERE IN BALTIMORE FOR DRIVERS, PEOPLE

TRYING TO GET AROUND HOW ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE WHILE THAT IS ALSO GOING ON?

YEAH.

SO SO WE’VE ALSO ALREADY BEEN IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE ABOUT ALTERNATIVE ROUTES AND WAYS PEOPLE CAN NAVIGATE.

BUT NOW THAT THIS TRAGEDY HAS HAPPENED AND I DON’T KNOW IF SECRETARY, IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT AS WELL, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF SCALE, ROUGHLY ABOUT, UH, 35,000 PEOPLE, YOU

KNOW, A DAY USE THAT FACILITY ABOUT DOUBLE THAT, USE THE HARBOR TUNNEL AND DOUBLE THAT, AGAIN, USE THE FORT MCHENRY TUNNEL.

SO BASICALLY WE HAVE THERE’S TWO OTHER OPTIONS.

WE’LL WE’LL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AS MUCH, UH, PERSONNEL OUT THERE TO DEAL WITH ANY INCIDENTS BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THAT CAN CAUSE THE BACKUPS VERY QUICKLY.

AND WE WILL BASICALLY PUT OUT A LOT OF COMMUNICATIONS ON DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES.

WE’RE ALSO LOOKING TO TRANSIT ALTERNATIVES AS WELL.

WHAT ROLE WILL THE LEGISLATURE PLAY IN THIS RESPONSE?

WHAT ROLE WILL THE LEGISLATURE PLAY IN THIS RESPONSE?

AND ARE THERE ANY POLICIES, ANY STATE PLANNING THAT’S GOING TO BE FREED UP IN THE COMING WEEKS?

OH YEAH.

NO.

SO WE ARE IN FACT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR SENATE PRESIDENT HERE.

WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE HERE.

THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO HAVE A ROLE IN ALL OF THIS AS WILL OUR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AS WELL STATE OFFICIALS, AS WILL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY IS GOING TO HAVE A ROLE IN TERMS OF HOW WE THINK ABOUT THE REBUILD, GOVERNOR, HOW EXPECT SHIPPING TO BE CLOSED DOWN FROM THE PORT.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ESTIMATE IN TERMS OF THE PORT HERE?

WE DON’T AT THIS POINT.

WE DON’T AT THIS POINT GOING IN OR OUT AT THIS TIME.

CORRECT?

YEAH, WE HAVE AND WE WE DON’T HAVE IT.

WE DON’T HAVE AN ESTIMATE ON TIMELINE AS OF YET.

UH, OUR FOCUS REALLY IS RIGHT NOW ON JUST MAKE SURE WE’RE SAVING LIVES.

ONE LAST QUESTION ARE CURRENTLY DOCKED AT THE PORT.

ARE THEY ABLE TO GET OUT AT ALL OR.

NO.

I’M SORRY.

SAY IT AGAIN.

THE SHIPS THAT OCCURRED, THE VESSELS THAT ARE CURRENTLY DOCKED AT THE PORT.

ARE THEY ABLE TO GET OUT OR.

NO.

UM, THE ONE THAT’S THAT’S, UH, CAPTURED UNDER THE IS THAT IS STILL AT PORT.

OH, YES.

THAT ONE.

THAT ONE IS STILL A PORT.

YES.

WE’LL TAKE ONE LAST QUESTION.

LAST QUESTION.

YES, MA’AM.

WHAT’S THE SHIP BEING GUIDED OUT BY?

TUGS FIRSTLY AND SECONDLY, DID YOU JUST SAY THAT IT ISSUED A MAYDAY IN ENOUGH TIME THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO STOP ALL TRAFFIC FROM ENTERING BOTH SIDES, SO THAT THE ONLY CASUALTIES WE

EXPECT ARE THE WORKERS ON THE BRIDGE?

YES, MA’AM.

SO THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL GOING ON.

SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE ALL THE FULL DETAILS AND ALSO ALL THE FULL DETAILS ABOUT THE TIMELINE AND THE TICK TOCK THAT TOOK PLACE.

BUT WE’RE THANKFUL THAT BETWEEN THE MAYDAY AND THE COLLAPSE THAT THAT WE HAD OFFICIALS WHO WERE ABLE TO TO BEGIN TO STOP THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC SO MORE CARS WOULD NOT HAVE ON THE BRIDGE.

AND I CAN CONTINUE ON THE BRIDGE OR NOT.

WERE THERE ANY DURING THE COLLAPSE?

YEAH.

WERE THERE SOME ON THE BRIDGE?

THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN SONAR THAT HAVE DETECTED VEHICLES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WATER.

SO AS WELL AS THE EIGHT PEOPLE THERE COULD STILL BE PEOPLE TRAPPED INSIDE OR POTENTIALLY HAVE DIED IN VEHICLES.

IS THAT CORRECT?

I THINK WELL, THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL GOING ON TO FIND OUT EXACTLY, EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE AND WHAT THE SITUATION.

BUT THE THING THAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT IS THAT, UH, MANY OF THE VEHICLES WERE STOPPED BEFORE THEY GOT ONTO THE BRIDGE, WHICH, UH, WHICH, WHICH, UH, SAVED LIVES IN A, IN A IN A VERY, VERY

HEROIC WAY.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

WE’LL HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE LATER.

THANK YOU.

THIS IS A HUGE DETAIL.

WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY VEHICLES WE WERE WATCHING A NEWS CONFERENCE THERE WITH MARILYN.

UH, GOVERNOR WESTMORE, A LOT OF NEW INFORMATION THAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE COLLAPSE OF THE KEY BRIDGE.

MAINLY WHAT WE WAS JUST MENTIONING THERE THAT THE, UH, THE CARGO SHIP THAT WAS COMING THROUGH GAVE ENOUGH WARNING THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO BLOCK TRAFFIC SO THAT THERE WEREN’T A LOT OF

CARS ON THAT HIGHWAY ON THE BRIDGE AT THE TIME.

ALTHOUGH WE DO KNOW NOW, EIGHT PEOPLE, UH, WENT INTO THE WATER, SIX ARE STILL MISSING.

ALL BELIEVED TO STILL BE THE CREW OF A CONTRACTORS WHO WERE THERE DOING SOME POTHOLE REPAIRS ON THE BRIDGE.

AND AGAIN, THAT’S INITIAL.

THEY STILL AREN’T REALLY SURE ABOUT THE VEHICLES THAT THEY FOUND UNDER THE WATER WITH THOSE SONAR DEVICES.

IF THOSE WERE THE VEHICLES THAT BELONGED TO THOSE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, POTENTIALLY, OR IF THERE COULD BE PEOPLE TRAPPED IN THERE.

THAT WAS THE LAST QUESTION YOU JUST HEARD.

AND HE WAS SAYING THAT THE GOVERNOR THERE WAS SAYING THAT IT’S STILL AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION, BUT THAT THE BRIDGE WAS UP TO CODE BEFORE THIS.

AND NOW WE KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE FEDERAL DOLLARS SPENT, NO WORD ON HOW MUCH THAT WILL BE, UH, TO REPAIR THAT BRIDGE.

BUT HE SAID IT WILL BE BACK AND IT WILL BE HONORING THE VICTIMS.

AND THIS ASSUMED VICTIMS AGAIN, THAT SEARCH CONTINUES FOR SIX PEOPLE.

ONE PERSON IN THE HOSPITAL THAT WAS RESCUED, ANOTHER PERSON WAS NOT HURT.

AND GOT OUT OF THE WATER, WAS RESCUED AS WELL.

AND THE BIG QUESTION OF HOW THIS CONTAINER SHIP CRASHED INTO THE BRIDGE, THE GOVERNOR MAKING IT CLEAR THAT AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS TO BE AN ACCIDENT AND NOTHING MORE THAN THAT.

BUT STILL, A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN THIS.

WE DO HAVE A TEAM OF REPORTERS IN BALTIMORE HEADING TO BALTIMORE, SO YOU CAN STAY WITH NEWS EIGHT THROUGHOUT THE DAY, AND ESPECIALLY ON NEWS EIGHT AT NOON.

FOR MORE UPDATES ON THIS KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE