Sacramento, California, USA
1972 - SPAN FALL LEAVES MAN CRITICAL.

Sacramento (AP) - One man remained in critical condition Friday after an accident in which tons of construction steel collapsed onto four-lane U.S. 50 from an uncompleted freeway overpass, crushing three vehicles and injuring at least 11 persons.

A spokesman for Sacramento Medical Center said ERNEST DEAN, 25, of Rio Linda was in critical condition with serious head injuries and numerous other injuries.

Earlier, DARYL DAVIS, 34, of Rancho Cordova was removed from the critical list and his condition was described as satisfactory. Of the other nine injured, five remained hospitalized Friday.

The accident occurred about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, just as two cars and a camper truck were driving under the unfinished overpass in the eastern part of the capital city.

Girder-sized steel beams, being used to support the overpass while the overpass concrete cured, suddenly gave way, falling like dominoes, witnesses said.

Louis Brown, a California Highway Patrol spokesman, said the cause of the collapse still was not known.

The road was back in service Friday with little trace of the accident except for hundreds of burnt-out flares littering the pavement. The road was closed for five hours while workmen freed the injured and cleaned up debris.

Star News
Pasadena, California
August 25, 1972

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