Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

First responders share their stories

by Nikki Tundel, Minnesota Public Radio

Minneapolis police officers say nothing could have prepared them for what they found when they arrived on the scene of the I-35 bridge collapse.

St. Paul, Minn. — When word of the I-35 bridge collapse came across police radios on August 1, members of the Minneapolis Police Department immediately headed to the scene.

Although they had heard the dispatcher say it was the I-35 bridge that had fallen, few truly believed this vital section of Minneapolis highway had come crashing down.

Some assumed "I-35" was just a reference point. Others thought they'd show up and discover that it was simply a guard rail that had collapsed. No one expected to find such a disastrous situation.

Reporter Nikki Tundel met up with a group of these first responders to hear their stories.