Sightseer killed when Milwaukee drawbridge opens when he’s crossing it

MILWAUKEE (VFAB) — A vacationer in Milwaukee fell to his dying following a drawbridge was elevated although he was strolling throughout it.

Richard Dujardin, 77, of Providence, Rhode Island, was strolling with his spouse, Rosemarie, in downtown Milwaukee close to 12:30 p.m. Monday. She was ahead of him on the 75-property-very long Kilbourn Avenue Bridge, which spans the Milwaukee River, when the roadway commenced to tilt, in accordance to a Milwaukee County Health-related Examiner’s Business office report.

Rosemarie Dujardin made it throughout the bridge her partner was about midway across when the hole started off to open up. He grabbed a aspect rail as the bridge sections rose to close to-vertical, and reportedly held on for one particular or two minutes, but then misplaced his grip and fell about 70 toes to the pavement down below, the report states.

He suffered a head wound and was pronounced lifeless at the scene, investigators stated.

The bridge is managed by the city’s Department of Public Operates and its two halves are raised and lowered for boat site visitors by somebody functioning remotely — about 1½ miles away — who has two digicam sights of the span.

The lights and bells have been functioning as the two sections have been elevated, and crossing arms arrived down at every single end of the bridge, according to investigators.

Rosemarie Dujardin explained to investigators that her partner was challenging of listening to and wore eyeglasses. The health care examiner’s report reported he was searching at an iPad whilst going for walks.

Police reported in a assertion that there is no suspicion of a legal act, but that the investigation carries on. Authorities did not launch the title of the human being who was functioning the bridge Monday afternoon. That particular person, who has four several years of encounter, was placed on go away.

Dujardin’s household explained to Tv station WISN that he was a father of 6, a grandfather, and retired from the Providence Journal, in which he wrote about religion. At the time he died, he and his wife had been on their way to pay a visit to Aged St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

In a different drawbridge demise this yr, a girl in Palm Seashore, Fla., suffered a deadly slide in February when the roadway was lifted even though she was strolling her bicycle throughout a bridge. In that situation, the bridgetender — who was in an observation tower at the web page — was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by culpable carelessness. Investigators allege she failed to comply with the protocol of stepping out on the balcony to check visitors ahead of opening the bridge.