Concrete falls from East Baltimore railroad bridge, injuring driver, fire officials say

BALTIMORE-- A piece of concrete fell from a railroad bridge, striking a vehicle and injuring its driver Sunday morning in East Baltimore, according to the Baltimore City Fire Department.

The department received reports of a vehicle struck by falling debris on North Point Road and Quad Avenue around 11:30 a.m.

The driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, according to Baltimore Fire spokesperson John Marsh.

The westbound lane of North Point Road will remain closed until noon on Monday, according to the Baltimore Department of Transportation. The eastbound lane will be divided into a 2-way traffic pattern until the westbound lane is reopened.   

Amtrak train delays

Amtrak service between Wilmington, Delaware and BWI Airport was delayed for nearly two hours. It resumed around 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Travelers at Baltimore Penn Station say they were stuck on Amtrak trains in Philadelphia. Some passengers told WJZ they were headed home from New York City.

Julie Skacan, who was traveling with her family, including her two children, said they were stuck on their train for about an hour.

"At first we were a little concerned, because they weren't really giving us information, and we have two small kids," Skacan said. "After an hour, we got going again, so it wasn't very fun, but it could have been a lot worse."

Bruce Lessey and his wife were only delayed mere minutes on their Acela train home to Virginia from New York.

"We knew we had people here waiting for us, and the train was obviously going slower. We got held up in Philadelphia as well," Lessey said.

The passengers were not concerned about the structural integrity of the bridge when they traversed it nor will they let this trip impact upcoming travel.

"Amtrak has its ups and downs, but it's what we've got and it's certainly better than being stuck on 95 in car with children," Skacan said.

Other bridge breakdowns in Maryland

This is not the first time concrete has fallen from a bridge, striking a car in Maryland.

• In 2013, debris from an I-95 overpass damaged four cars traveling on Campbell Boulevard.
• In 2015, a chunk of concrete fell onto a vehicle in Prince George's County. Luckily, Katherine Dean survived, but her windshield caved in.
• That same year, a pedestrian bridge tumbled on train tracks in Prince George's County.
• Also in 2015, the Liberty Road Bridge over I-695 cracked.
• In 2018, debris from the Kelly Avenue Bridge in Mount Washington fell onto the Light Rail tracks, suspending service between Falls Road and North Avenue.
• In 2019, several were injured when a pedestrian bridge collapsed on Poffenberger Road in Jefferson.
• In 2023, a section of I-95 collapsed in Philadelphia after a large vehicle fire broke out beneath an overpass in Philadelphia, blocking travel in both directions.