Jul 2, 2007 3:00 pm US/Eastern
Tappan Zee Crash Tests 9/11 Terror-Action Plan
Bridge Reopens After Fiery Accident Kills 1
by Magee Hickey
SOUTH NYACK, N.Y. (CBS) ―
The commute Monday morning over the Tappan Zee Bridge was a smooth one, after the bridge was inspected for any potential structural damage from Sunday night's accident in which a tractor-trailer toppled over, bursting into flames and killing the truck driver.
The crash gave police the opportunity to test their terrorism diversion plan, which was developed after the 9/11 attacks.
Officials tell CBS 2 News that the plan was successfully implemented. Authorities coordinated efforts to stop and divert cars coming from the Westchester side of the bridge from crossing the span.
Motorists were directed away from the problem area via a New York State Thruway maintenance yard.
Police closed all ramps from the Palisades Parkway. However, the part of the plan that called for three hydraulic barriers to be erected to block the span was not activated.
Sources tell CBS 2 that this was most likely because police did not have the manpower to do implement this action over the weekend.
On Sunday night, a car collided with the side of the truck driven by 42-year-old Ricardo Riveros of New Windsor, N.Y., as it headed South over the bridge. The truck rolled over the concrete barrier and into the northbound lanes, where it hit another car.
There was a series of loud explosions, causing a thick column of smoke to rise from the Rockland side of the bridge.
"We heard three loud booms," one motorist told CBS 2 News.
"[There was a] ton of smoke, I mean, it was like a bomb went off."
"The flames were going up past the lights on the bridge. That's how bad it was. And you could just hear it go, boom, boom," another motorist said.
Thruway Authority crews rushed to repair the 270 feet of median barrier of the bridge that was demolished when the truck fell onto its side.
The bridge was re-opened at 4:27 a.m. Monday.
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