Remaining Cars Removed From Partially Collapsed Parking Garage
IRVING (CBSDFW.COM) - All out.
After more than a week all remaining vehicles trapped in a collapsed parking garage in Irving are free.
"I feel thrilled, relieved, happy, medicated. My medications are in that car," says April Bergman.
Bergman's Prius was one of the last two vehicles driven away.
"This is my camping trailer. It has a full bed, camping gear. That car doesn't sit still for one moment. It means the world to me!" she says.
Crews cut concrete and removed parking garage panels to remove the final two intact cars.
"I was right on the edge where the second collapse was," says Kristin Freeborn, who knows how close her car came to getting crushed.
"There were two open spots that day. I picked spot A instead of spot B. Had I picked B my car would be in the rubble. Because I decided not to park there, I ended up ok," recalls Freeborn.
A crane was brought in to remove the remaining cars, but had to leave the scene because of weather concerns.
In the end, they were carefully driven out. One crew member stopped to give a victorious cheer and bow.
The next step is to remove the damaged vehicles from the lower level. Irving fire officials say they'll be pulled out this Thursday or Friday.
As for Bergman, she says she doesn't plan to park in the garage anymore.