Worker killed after bridge collapses onto 91 Freeway in Riverside

A construction worker was killed early Sunday when part of a bridge collapsed onto the 91 Freeway in Riverside, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The worker was part of a contracted crew tearing down an old railroad bridge over the freeway near 14th Street when a large piece of the bridge “buckled” shortly after 3:15 a.m., said CHP Officer Johnie Russell.

The man was harnessed to the bridge when it “buckled and twisted under him,” causing him to fall to the freeway, said Caltrans spokeswoman Michelle Profant. He was taken to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead.

An investigation into the cause of the collapse is ongoing, Profant said.

No other injuries were reported by workers or motorists, Russell said. Profant said the freeway was closed at the time for the demolition work.

Only one westbound lane was open as of 10:30 a.m. Officials hope to have all westbound and eastbound lanes cleared and open to traffic by 1 p.m., Profant said.

The construction was part of a 6-mile-long project to add two carpool lanes to the freeway, Profant said. She said there was no indication that the incident would delay the project.