Baltimore Mayor Requests Media to Stop Showing Bridge Collapse Footage

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott called on media outlets to stop showing video footage of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

“I’m going to be the first to ask that CNN and everyone else stop showing the video,” Scott said. “No one needs to see a possibility of their family member being severely injured or otherwise over and over and over again.”

“It’s just traumatizing our community,” he added.

The bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, sending at least eight people from a construction crew into the water as a large section of the bridge crashed into the Patapsco River. 

According to Baltimore Mayor Wes Moore, the ship, traveling at a rapid speed of about eight knots, lost power in the moments before it struck the bridge.

Two people have so far been pulled from the river and one was transported to a trauma unit and is in a serious condition, initial reports said.

Authorities reported there are still six people missing and unaccounted for following the incident.

Although it is unclear what caused the accident at this time, Moore said that the ship made a mayday call just ahead of the accident and crew aboard the ship told authorities they lost power moments beforehand.

“We know that there’s going to be questions about the bridge, and traffic, and the port, but right now, everyone in this world’s focus should be about these souls and those families who are wondering if these people are going to walk back in the door after they walked out to work last night,” Scott said.