Baltimore Resident On Key Bridge Collapse: ‘My House Shook!’

When Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday, one woman experienced the horrific incident from her home.

In an exclusive interview with The Blast, Baltimore resident Carri Celozzi recalled being woken up by the aftershock of the bridge’s collapse and how the incident has since impacted her neighborhood.

Celozzi has always been able to see the famous Baltimore Bridge from the comfort of her home, as she lives in Dundalk, a neighborhood in close proximity the bridge.

However, when the incident occurred, she never expected it to be the beloved bridge crashing down. Recalling what she experienced earlier today, the Baltimore resident said:

“This morning at 1:30 am, I woke up to a horrific noise, and my house was shaking. I thought it was an earthquake or something crashing nearby like a plane since I’m not far from BWI Airport.”

“I laid in bed for a few minutes, trying to comprehend what happened. I looked outside, and everything seemed normal, so I thought it was a dream, and I went back to bed,” Celozzi explained, noting that she realized the severity of the situation hours later.

“7 am this morning is when I started getting calls, messages, etc, asking if I’m OK and if I saw the news. It gives me chills now realizing that what I heard hours ago was a BRIDGE collapsing!!!!” she exclaimed.

According to Celozzi, she frequently used the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and the last time she crossed the now-destroyed area was a few weeks ago. “It never crossed my mind that would be the last time I drove over it,” she lamented.

Since the incident, her Baltimore neighborhood has been witness to the emergency response happening to find the remaining victims. Celozzi confirmed the search was still ongoing, saying:

“Helicopters have been circling my neighborhood all morning nonstop. I believe they still have the search and rescue going on for the remaining missing people.”

She also described the bridge’s loss as “sad,” sharing that she and her boyfriend could easily access the city through the area. Now that it’s gone, she must take a different route.

“I actually have to go to that side of town next week, so now I’ll have to use the 895 tunnel. It’s going to be so weird not seeing the Key bridge,” Celozzi said, adding:

“Everyone is being detoured to the main streets near me. The area is pretty congested right now.”

As previously reported, the entirety of the damages caused by the bridge’s collapse remains unknown as the massive emergency response is ongoing. Nonetheless, James Wallace, chief of the Baltimore City Fire Department, revealed that two people were rescued.

These individuals were saved in the initial hours of the emergency response; unfortunately, one is in “very serious condition,” while the other is unharmed. It is unclear if the two rescued are part of the seven people believed to be in the water.

According to Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld, multiple contractors were working on “concrete deck” repairs on the bridge when it collapsed. However, it is unclear how many workers were on the bridge when it collapsed.

The seven believed to be in the water, and the two rescued people may be part of the unaccounted workers. On the other hand, the number has nothing to do with the crew on the ship responsible for the bridge’s collapse.

According to the Maryland Transportation Secretary, the cargo ship that caused this incident is currently not being suspected of foul play.

Wiedefeld confirmed at a news conference that authorities have found no evidence to indicate the incident was intentional or an act of terrorism, saying:

“We don’t see anything that relates to that. It’s an open investigation, but there’s nothing that points in that direction.”

As for the crew, the Chief of the Baltimore City Fire Department noted that the vessel’s personnel remain on the boat, but they cannot be rescued until the cargo ship has been assessed for damages.

The director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, Kevin Cartwright, confirmed the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s collapse occurred around 1:30 a.m. He addressed the situation in a statement, saying:

“This is currently a mass casualty incident, and we are searching for seven people who are in the river.”

“This is a dire emergency,” Cartwright declared in another statement, adding, “Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people.”

Ship tracking data from LSEG showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali was responsible for this incident.

Their manager, Synergy Marine Group, confirmed the vessel sparked the collapse after striking one of the bridge’s pillars.

Celozzi gave us an update as she drove into work this morning saying, “It’s still sinking in..the bridge that I saw/drove daily is UNDER water. It was unreal to drive to work just now and not see the Key Bridge. It looked so pretty with the sunrise and sunsets…”