2 dead in Pittsburgh after multi-vehicle crash on Fort Duquesne Bridge

Two people are dead after an SUV flipped off Pittsburgh's Fort Duquesne Bridge in a five-vehicle crash, according to authorities.

The crash, which happened the afternoon of May 6, shut down the roadway for several hours and remained under investigation the next day.

Here's what we know.

When, where did the Fort Duquesne Bridge crash happen?

The crash took place at the ramp at the Route 28-Route 65 split on Fort Duquesne Bridge at about 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

One vehicle, an SUV, flipped off the bridge and landed on Reedsdale Street, said Cara Cruz, a Pittsburgh public safety spokesperson. The four other vehicles remained on the ramp.

How many people dead, injured after Fort Duquesne Bridge crash in Pittsburgh?

Two people were killed in the crash, The Tribune-Review reported. The driver of the SUV that went over the side of Fort Duquesne Bridge, identified as Michael Smith, 52, of Sheraden, was ejected and died instantly, Police Chief Jason Lando said.

A second person, identified as Danielle Jackman, 58, of Churchill, was removed from a vehicle with the Jaws of Life and taken to UPMC Mercy in critical condition, where she died, the Post-Gazette reported.

District Chief Fred Caprio of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Emergency Medical Services said all other drivers and vehicle occupants involved in the crash were uninjured.

Is the road closed? Is the Fort Duquesne Bridge open?

The crash was cleared just before 7 p.m. May 6, and southbound Route 65 opened again, PennDOT officials said.

The roadway was closed for about four hours at the ramp to Fort Duquesne Bridge, the Tribune-Review reported. Debris from the crash scattered the bridge and Reedsdale Street below.

A May 6 post on X from Jennifer Borrasso, a reporter at KDKA-TV, included pictures and videos of the site of the crash. The images showed a partially crushed car, debris on the road and emergency vehicles and responders, while videos showed another car with its back and front completely smashed in being towed.

How did the SUV flip off Fort Duquesne Bridge? Crash under investigation

It's not clear why the crash happened, and an investigation by police was ongoing May 7.

"We all know it takes a pretty significant amount of speed and force to flip over a bridge deck," Lando said.

Caprio said Jackman was "heavily entrapped in a vehicle up against the Jersey barrier" on the bridge, the Tribune-Review reported.

"The first ambulance (that) arrived on scene deployed the Jaws of Life off of the ambulance and had to remove pieces of the vehicle to get the patient out," he said, adding that a crash taking place on two levels is "exceedingly rare."

"I was the first person here. I was right down the street," he said. "It is a large scene to try to encompass and triage."