MIAMI _ Three people remain hospitalized at Kendall Regional Medical Center _ one still in critical condition _ after they were injured by the pedestrian bridge at Florida International University when it collapsed last week, a hospital spokesperson told the Miami Herald Monday.
The 950-ton concrete slab cracked and fell Thursday afternoon, crushing those directly beneath it and killing six. Ten survivors were transferred to Kendall Regional after being pulled from the rubble by first responders. One victim died shortly after being transferred to the hospital, and the other nine were treated for injuries.
All 10 were Level 1 trauma patients. One man arrived to the ICU in cardiac arrest, though doctors were able to restart his heart, program director Mark McKenney said in a news conference last week. Another victim arrived in a coma with "severe extremity injuries," McKenney said. As of Monday morning, six survivors had been sent home after being treated for their injuries.
The identities of the survivors are still mostly undisclosed. Families of those who remain in the hospital have declined news media requests via the hospital spokesperson.
One survivor filed the first civil lawsuit against the companies responsible for the design and construction of the bridge on Monday. In the complaint, Marquise Rashaad Hepburn, 24, said he was "seriously injured" by a car that swerved out of the way to avoid the collapsing bridge and hit him as he rode his bike to work.
The suit claims the companies' negligence when designing and building the bridge led to the accident and caused Hepburn bodily injury, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, and mental anguish. Personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan is representing Hepburn in the suit.
