Fern Hollow Bridge Collapse: 5th lawsuit set to be filed against city of Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Another lawsuit is set to be filed against the city of Pittsburgh in connection with the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in January.
Attorney Richard Schubert filed a notice to sue the city on Tuesday. His client Joseph Engelmeier, a recent University of Pittsburgh graduate, has suffered extreme pain and emotional trauma, Schubert said.
"As he was driving out, the bridge collapsed in front of him," Schubert said. "He was in a Hyundai SUV and he was approaching the bridge, it was snowing at the time, and he said the road was white, and all of the sudden it went black."
Engelmeier's vehicle landed on its side after the bridge collapsed, according to his attorney. Schubert said the 24-year-old managed to climb out of the passenger side of his SUV. He suffered three spinal compression fractures.
Then came the strong smell of gas.
"He just remembers smelling some natural gas. It was very strong and he was afraid of an explosion," Schubert said.
But getting out was not easy.
"He actually climbed off the bridge and up the hillside to emergency personnel who were on the Pittsburgh side of the bridge," Schubert said. "He was running for his life."
Seven months later, Engelmeier is back at work and going to graduate school. But Schubert said he is still suffering.
"He still is in treatment for his PTSD," he said. "He has nightmares still, and he doesn't know when they are going to end, if they ever will."
"He has lost a lot of sleep, and he's very wary of circumstances that put him in the position of going over bridges," Schubert said.
This will be the fifth lawsuit against the city of Pittsburgh related to the bridge collapse. The city said it does not comment on pending litigation. KDKA-TV did not receive a comment from the NTSB.