A construction worker was killed when a bridge his crew was demolishing collapsed onto the 91 Freeway in Riverside early Sunday, May 18th. The bridge collapse occurred around 3:15 a.m. between Central Avenue and 14th Street. The deceased worker has been identified as Okesene Faasalele, 59, of Long Beach.
Faasalele was part of a contractor crew working on the demolition of a railroad bridge. According to authorities, he was cutting a piece of the bridge in half when the bridge buckled and twisted beneath him. The worker was tethered to the bridge when it collapsed, causing him to fall. Faasalele was taken to a local hospital, but was declared dead around 4:00 a.m. The freeway was closed at the time of the collapse and no other injuries were reported.
Authorities are continuing to investigate what caused the bridge to collapse. The 91 freeway was closed in both directions into early Sunday afternoon.
