MIAMI – A bridge in Miami was temporarily shut down Wednesday morning after a man fell to his death.
Sky 10 was above the area of 450 South Miami Avenue at 6:30 a.m. as several police cars were parked on the bridge and below it. City of Miami Fire Rescue personnel were also spotted at the scene.
At one point, an empty stretcher was wheeled away.
According to Miami Fire Rescue officials, units responded to the scene and within five minutes they located the victim’s body at the bottom of the bridge.
Miami police later confirmed that the victim, identified only as a man, appeared to have fallen from the bridge.
Witnesses told officers that the man was riding a bicycle and attempted to overtake the drawbridge as it was opening.
Miami police Officer Kenia Fallat, who is also a spokeswoman for the department, said there were a numbers of witnesses who saw what happened and the incident appears to have been an accident.
“There’s a number of things that were looking at,” she said. “We’re trying to see if we can get ahold of surveillance cameras. But indeed, we have spoken to a number of witnesses that tell us the cyclist attempted to overtake the bridge while it was opening.”
Fallat said officers are still working to identify the victim so they can notify his next of kin.
The bridge, which connects downtown Miami and the Brickell areas, was closed in both directions as detectives investigated the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death.
The bridge has since reopened to vehicular traffic, but remains closed for pedestrians and vessels.
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