Knoxville, TN (WOKI) An investigation is underway following a house fire in north Knoxville Tuesday morning.
Knoxville Fire Department crews were called to the fire on Crest Park Road after the home owner called and said she returned home to find black smoke coming from the front door.
Two adults and a dog lived in the home, and a woman was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
The home has suffered heavy fire, smoke, and water damage.
The American Red Cross is assisting the occupants.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –Dalton Knecht of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is a finalist for the prestigious Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Award, as announced Tuesday afternoon by the Atlanta Tipoff Club/Naismith Awards.
Joining Knecht on the elite list are North Carolina’s R.J. Davis, Purdue’s Zach Edey and Houston’s Jamal Shead. They were the only four players in the country to earn First Team All-America status from all four major outlets used to determine consensus status.
“These players’ remarkable talent and unwavering commitment to college basketball shine throughout their achievements,” said Eric Oberman, President of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “Their invaluable contributions have significantly contributed to their teams’ triumphs this season. It would be an honor to crown any of these exceptional student-athletes as winners of the prestigious Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy.”
A fifth-year guard, Knecht is also among 15 players on the Wooden Award Naismith Ballot and one of 30 finalists for the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award. In addition, he was among 40 individuals on the most recent watch list for the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy, released Feb. 27.
Knecht, who helped Tennessee win its 11th SEC regular season title, is averaging 21.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in his lone campaign as a Volunteer, while shooting 46.1 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent beyond the arc.
Named the SEC Player of the Year by both the league’s head coaches and the Associated Press, the latter in unanimous fashion, Knecht scored 25.5 points per game in SEC play, the second-best mark of anyone in the last 22 years (2022-24). That figure also led Division I conference scoring in 2023-24, regardless of league.
The fourth consensus First Team All-American in Tennessee history, Knecht leads the nation in 39-point (three) and 35-point (five) showings this year, with each tally tying for the best single-season mark ever by a Volunteer. His 717 points in 2023-24 put him co-third on the program’s single-season scoring list, just seven shy of second place.
A 6-foot-6, 213-pounder from Thornton, Colo., Knecht is the second Naismith Trophy finalist from Tennessee in the last six seasons. Grant Williams also made the cut in 2018-19 after his second straight SEC Player of the Year campaign.
The 2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year announcement will occur April 7 at the Naismith Awards Brunch during the Final Four in Phoenix. The event will be held at the Phoenix Art Museum. SiriusXM will simulcast the live announcement on SiriusXM College Sports Radio (Channel 84).
Fans will once again be able to support their favorite finalist through the Naismith Awards Fan Vote presented by Jersey Mike’s, which runs Tuesday, March 26, through Tuesday, April 2, at naismithfanvote.com. The fan vote will account for five percent of the overall final vote. Fans may also vote by visiting @naismithtrophy, @MarchMadness and @MarchMadnessWBB Twitter pages.
The four finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners, all of whom base their selections on outstanding coaching performances during the 2023-24 college basketball season. The vote was tabulated and verified by the Atlanta team of J.S. Held, a global consulting firm.
Knecht and sixth-ranked, second-seeded Tennessee (26-8, 14-4 SEC) take the court Friday at 9:59 p.m. against No. 11-ranked, third-seeded Creighton for a Sweet 16 clash, live on TBS and truTV from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
2023-24 JERSEY MIKE’S NAISMITH TROPHY PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALISTS
R.J. Davis, North Carolina
Zach Edey, Purdue
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Jamal Shead, Houston
The Federal Aviation Administration is leading the investigation into the plane that crashed into the Tennessee River near downtown Knoxville.
Knoxville Police and the Knoxville Fire Department responded to the small, single-engine plane crash last night (Monday) near Island Home Park. The male pilot was able to escape without injury.
Officials with KFD say the pilot was practicing water landings and accidentally activated the regular landing gear meant for land.
A Kansas man filed a defamation lawsuit against Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett over social media posts about a shooting in Kansas City following the Chief’s Super Bowl parade.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in Kansas on Monday by Denton Loudermill, Jr., alleges Burchett shared photos of Loudermill on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming he was one of the shooters and an “illegal alien.”
The lawsuit alleges Loudermill attended the parade and was told by police in the moments after the shooting he was moving “too slow” when he tried to go under police tape to leave the area.
He was then handcuffed and sat on a curb for about 10 minutes before being unhandcuffed and told by police he was “free to go,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit further alleges Burchett removed the post referring to Loudermill as an “illegal alien,” but he made another post with the image that misidentified him as “one of the shooters.”
The lawsuit also says Loudermill has received death threats and suffered mental distress from being falsely identified as an “illegal alien” and “shooter.”
Loudermill is asking for $75,000 in damages for acts considered “willful, wanton, reckless and malicious,” according to the lawsuit. spokesperson for Burchett’s office said, “Our office is not able to comment on pending or active litigation.” Story courtesy of WVLT
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — “I know what I came here to do, and it’s my job to go get that done.”
Those were the closing remarks for Tennessee redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava as the signal caller met with local media members on Monday inside the Anderson Training Center. One week into his second spring training camp on Rocky Top and 12 weeks after his first career start in the Vols’ 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, Iamaleava has approached this offseason with intentionality – aiming to develop his skillset and become a more vocal leader for the Vols on the gridiron.
“I have been trying to work on being more vocal for the guys, speaking up when I need to,” Iamaleava said. “I think just being myself out there, hanging out with the guys and making sure we are getting our business done. I’ve grown more in the vocal aspect of it, just being louder for the guys is what I’ve really been trying to work on.”
Topics of discussion for Monday’s media session with the Long Beach, California, native included bulking up his 6-6 frame to 215 pounds, developing chemistry with the new Tennessee receivers and comparing his former backup role to entering the 2024 season as the starting signal caller.
“Last year, I approached every day like I was the starter,” Iamaleava explained. “I think (Joe Milton III) did a great job of just helping me visualize what that looks like, and I have carried it over to this year.”
Protecting QB1 will be paramount for the Tennessee offensive line that was also well represented in Monday’s post-practice press conferences. Assistant coach Glen Elarbee took the podium, followed by a pair of seasoned, redshirt-senior offensive linemen in John Campbell Jr. and Dayne Davis.
Sophomore tackle Lance Heard also spoke to Knoxville media for the first time and has made his presence felt early in his first offseason with the Vols. The Monroe, Louisiana, native stands a towering 6-6, weighs 335 pounds and has already drawn comparisons to former Vol and 2022 first-round draft pick Darnell Wright.
“The guy (Lance Heard) has unbelievable length and natural ability,” Elarbee said. “Protecting the passer is going to be a big improvement, and he’s just a big human. The ability to go move 4i’s in the run game, I felt like (Darnell Wright), that’s where he changed our run game a lot … I feel like Lance is going to have that ability too.”
“He’s really just going through his first offseason. So, some of the intricacies of just learning the game inside and out, he knows it, but experience and reps just build that bank of what’s going on and how to adjust to certain situations. I think that’s just part of his growth and development.”
Davis enters his sixth year with the Vols and has served the offensive line room with the versatility of a Swiss Army knife under Elarbee’s tutelage. The Bluff City, Tennessee, native has seen more reps at guard this spring, and credits his team-first mindset and knowledge of the Josh Heupel system as two traits that help him serve the line at many different positions.
“My last three years here under Coach Heupel and Coach Elarbee, it’s just been as a guy who knows the offense so well that you can flip to any position when you need a person here or there,” Davis said. “Left guard, left tackle, center last year for five or six games, just being that guy where, if we need a spot on the o-line, can step up and be that player … Just really helping where I can, being a teammate to everybody and just being there for the o-line.”
Tennessee will hold a closed scrimmage Wednesday morning at Neyland Stadium before hosting several former Volunteer standouts and NFL personnel for Pro Day inside the Anderson Training Center. Spring practice will continue Monday, April 1, after the Easter holiday break.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –Zakai Zeigler of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award, as announced Monday afternoon.
This is the second season in a row Zeigler is among the finalists for the elite honor. He was also one of 10 semifinalists for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Zeigler already collected SEC Defensive Player of the Year accolades earlier this month. He is the second Volunteer to win the award and the third individual, regardless of school, under 6-foot to do so.
The Long Island, N.Y., native ranks fourth in the SEC with 1.82 steals per game. In conference play, he placed second in the league with 2.11 per outing.
Zeigler has logged multiple steals in 16 contests this season, logging three-plus 10 times and four-plus seven times. The latter mark is good for a top-15 spot nationally, co-seventh among Power Six players and second in the SEC.
With 62 steals this year, Zeigler ranks ninth on Tennessee’s single-season leaderboard. His 180 steals in three years as a Volunteer put him fifth all-time in the program record books, as well as fifth among active SEC players. Zeigler is averaging 1.83 steals per game in his career, fourth-best all-time at Tennessee and second-best among active SEC players.
Zeigler’s career steal percentage of 3.93 is sixth-best among SEC players over the last 14 seasons (2010-24), per College Basketball Reference, which also puts him ninth in career defensive box plus/minus during that time with a 4.94 mark.
The Jim Phelan Award, named after the legendary coach who won 786 games in 41 seasons, is presented by CollegeInsider.com. The recipient of the award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which includes current and former head coaches, as well as CollegeInsider.com staff members.
Zeigler is among 25 finalists for the award, including one of 15 in a Power Six league and one of three from the SEC. The other players in the latter category are Auburn’s Johni Broome and Texas A&M’s Andersson Garcia.
Zeigler and sixth-ranked, second-seeded Tennessee (26-8, 14-4 SEC) resume play Friday at 9:59 p.m. against No. 11-ranked, third-seeded Creighton in the Sweet 16, live on TBS and truTV from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
2023-24 LEFTY DRIESELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALISTS
Justin Abson, Appalachian State
Adrian “Ace” Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Reece Beekman, Virginia
Adem Bona, UCLA
Boo Buie, Northwestern
Johni Broome, Auburn
Devin Carter, Providence
Isaiah Cozart, Eastern Kentucky
Isaiah Crawford, Louisiana Tech
Ryan Dunn, Virginia
Zach Edey, Purdue
KiAndre Gaddy, Tarleton State
Andersson Garcia, Texas A&M
Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Malevy Leons, Bradley
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Bez Mbeng, Yale
Clifford Omoruyi, Rutgers
Jamal Shead, Houston
Charles Thompson, Towson
Kellen Tynes Jr., Maine
Amari Williams, Drexel
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
RALEIGH, N.C. – No. 6 seed Tennessee erased all but two of a 20-point second-half deficit, but it came up just short in falling to No. 3 seed and 11th-ranked NC State, 79-72, Monday in the NCAA Second Round at Reynolds Coliseum.
UT fell behind, 51-31, just moments after the second half began, but it demonstrated resilience in trimming the gap to eight by the end of the third quarter. The Lady Vols eventually whittled the Wolfpack’s lead to two, 65-63, with 4:16 to play before the hosts staved off what would have been a monumental comeback.
Fifth-year forward Rickea Jackson fired in a season-high 33 points and added 10 rebounds, and fifth-year guard Jasmine Powell tossed in 13 in their final games for the Big Orange (20-13). Redshirt senior center Tamari Key, who has another year available but hasn’t announced her intentions, chipped in 10.
NC State (29-6) was led by four in double figures, including Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers with 22 and 20, respectively. Zoe Brooks tallied 16, while River Baldwin added 11.
The Wolfpack jumped on top early, 4-0, before Jackson answered with a jumper at the 9:01 mark in the opening stanza to get her team on the scoreboard. The NC State pushed the lead to 8-4 before the Lady Vols reeled off three consecutive long balls from Jackson, Sara Puckett and Jackson again to surge ahead 13-10 with 6:46 remaining. Jackson tallied twice more before the media timeout, sending UT into the 4:51 break with a 17-14 advantage on her 11th and 12 points of the opening five minutes. The Big Orange built a six-point lead, 23-17, on a jumper by Jewel Spear, a fast-break layup by Kaiya Wynn and another Jackson jumper, but NCSU stormed back with seven straight points to seize a 24-23 lead after one.
NC State came out of the quarter break on a roll, building a seven-point lead by the 8:33 mark, on a Collins jumper, and an eight-point advantage, 33-25, with 7:22 left on a Rivers bucket. UT responded with a layup from Jillian Hollingshead and a jumper by Jackson to trim the gap to four, 33-29, with 6:30 on the clock. The Wolfpack reciprocated with scores by Rivers and James to ratchet the lead back up to eight, 37-29, and force a Lady Vol timeout with 5:20 to go in the second stanza. Tennessee managed just one additional bucket before the intermission, as Puckett’s jumper brought the score to 39-31 with 3:16 to go. The home team, though, scored the next 10 points to close out the half with a 49-31 lead.
NCSU’s cushion ballooned to 20 at the outset of the third quarter on a Collins layup with 9:22 to go, but UT fought back and trimmed the lead twice to 15. The second occasion came on a Spear jumper that sent the teams into a media timeout at the 4:55 mark with the Lady Vols trailing, 53-38. UT scored again with 3:55 on the clock via a Key layup to make the score 53-40. After a Rivers three-pointer pushed the deficit back to 16 at the 3:30 mark, the Big Orange kept the pressure on. A Jackson layup, followed by a pair of free throws from Jackson and six straight charity tosses from Powell, pulled their team within eight, 58-50, to end the period.
A Key layup drew the Lady Vols within six, 58-52, 43 seconds into the final frame. NC State twice clawed back ahead by nine with the second time coming on a Brooks fast-break layup with 6:43 remaining. Tennessee, though, remained resilient and hacked away at the lead, getting a free throw from Jackson at the 6:34 mark, back-to-back buckets from Jackson at 5:25 and 4:54 and a layup underneath with 4:16 to go from Key to close the deficit to two, 65-63, carrying into the 3:44 media timeout. The Wolfpack got consecutive scores from James to push its lead back to seven, 70-63, with 2:48 to go before Key cut it back to five with a bucket inside to make it 70-65 with 2:28 remaining. A Jackson layup on the break made it a four-point game, 76-72, with 42 ticks left, but UT could never get over the hump.
KEA ENDS ON A VERY HIGH NOTE: Rickea Jackson registered a season-high 33 points against NC State, marking her fourth consecutive 20-plus point game, her 12th of 2023-24 and 28th as a Lady Vol, ranking fifth all-time at UT. Her 10 rebounds helped her record her fourth double-double of the season and the 14th of her career. She finished her college days with 2,259 points in 127 games to rank sixth all-time (including transfers) at UT and 1,174 in 60 games over two seasons at Tennessee to rank 35th for points scored only as a Lady Vol.
DOUBLE FIGURES FOR JAZZ: With 13 points against the Wolfpack, Powell tallied her 12th game with double-digit points this season and the 62nd of her career. She also tallied seven assists, six rebounds and a steal. She ran her total of dimes on the season to a career season-high of 136 and her collegiate total, including games played at Minnesota, to 554
KEY CLOSES SEASON WITH 10: Playing in the area where she grew up, Tamari finished with 10 points against NC State. The effort marked her fourth double-figure scoring effort of the 2023-24 campaign. She also blocked two shots vs. the Wolfpack, running her season number to 52 and her career total to 347. That career mark is a UT record and ranks sixth all-time in SEC history.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The seventh-ranked Lady Vols earned their second SEC series sweep of the season Monday night with a six-inning run-rule victory over No. 23 South Carolina, 8-0, at Beckham Field.
Tennessee (26-4, 6-0 SEC) has now opened conference play 6-0 for the second consecutive season and for the second time in program history.
While the offense got things cranked up in the later innings, it was sophomore right-hander Karlyn Pickens who held firm in the circle in the early going.
South Carolina (22-10, 0-6 SEC) threatened to score in the second inning as it put runners on second and third with only one out. Pickens dug in and kept the Gamecocks off the scoreboard as she got a strikeout and ground out to end the frame.
Pickens settled in following the second, finishing the night with 10 strikeouts, two walks and just three hits. The Weaverville, North Carolina, native tossed her 10th complete game and earned her ninth shutout of the year en route to her 14th victory.
The bats came alive in the fourth as Destiny Rodriguez sparked a three-run inning with an RBI double. The Live Oak, Texas, native was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Sophia Nugent drove in the game’s second run on a sac fly before Laura Mealer knocked in UT’s third run on a double to center.
Mealer led Tennessee at the plate, going 3-for-3 with one run scored and a pair of RBIs.
The duo of Nugent and Mealer struck again in the sixth inning with Nugent knocking an RBI double to plate Rodriguez before Mealer singled to score Taylor Pannell – extending Tennessee’s lead to 5-0.
Nugent finished her night 2-for-2 with two doubles and two RBIs.
With two runners on in the sixth, Zaida Puni put the game away with a three-run blast – making the score 8-0. The home run was her seventh of the season.
Sage Mardjetko started in the circle for the Gamecocks, throwing 3.2 innings. She frustrated the Tennessee bats early but the Lady Vols ended up tagging her for three runs on five hits. Mardjetko fanned three and walked two in the loss.
Alana Vawter relieved her in the fourth and went 1.2 frames, allowing four runs on four hits with four strikeouts before she was lifted for Jori Heard.
Heard only faced four batters and gave up one run on two hits.
STAT OF THE DAY
Tennessee’s win Monday night extended its nation-leading win streak to 18 games. The Lady Vols also own the country’s third-longest road-winning streak with 10 consecutive wins away from home.
UP NEXT
Tennessee continues its SEC road swing as it heads down to The Plains for a three-game set at Auburn March 29-31.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the second time this season, No. 5/5 Tennessee hosts an in-state foe for a midweek game as Tennessee Tech makes the short trip from Cookeville for Tuesday’s night Volunteer State battle at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Roster Schedule Stats Notes UT Baseball Record Book Tickets Gameday Central Follow @UTGameday Official Gameday App Buy Tennessee Gear
The Vols enter the week coming off their first SEC series win of the year after winning a rubber game against No. 17 Ole Miss on Sunday afternoon, 15-4.
Limited single-game tickets for non-conference home games can be purchased through AllVols.com.
Single-game tickets for all games can also be purchased through Ticketmaster, the exclusive resale marketplace for Tennessee Athletics, by clicking HERE.
In order to keep Lindsey Nelson Stadium as full as possible, we are encouraging season ticket holders who are unable to use their tickets for a game(s) to transfer your tickets to other Vol fans (Instructions HERE).
If you’re a season ticket holder and can’t make it to a baseball game this season, you also now have the option to donate your tickets. Your tickets will be donated back to Tennessee Athletics and will be distributed to the military and/or local charities in the Knoxville area.
All ticket donations will be accepted until 5 PM the business day before a game. After donating your tickets a gift receipt equal to the ticket value will be emailed to you. You may save that receipt for your tax records.
As we prepare for the next phase in renovations, please pardon our progress… and our dust. Once completed, Lindsey Nelson Stadium will offer fans an unrivaled experience and be among the nation’s finest college baseball venues. We appreciate your support and patience when you enter Lindsey Nelson Stadium this season. Please be advised changes may occur from game to game.
Tuesday’s game will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Zack Nelson (PxP) and Caylan Arnold (analyst) on the call.
Fans can also listen to John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara call the action on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990). A free audio stream will also be available on UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and the Varsity App.
Overall: Vols lead, 72-32-1
in Knoxville: Vols lead, 47-13
in Cookeville: Vols lead, 25-18-1
at Neutral Sites: Golden Eagles lead, 1-0
Last Meeting: L, 12-5 – April 18, 2023 in Knoxville
The Volunteers will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak to the Golden Eagles after dropping midweek contests to them in each of the last two seasons. Prior to those two losses, UT had won six of the last seven games in the series.
Midweek Dominance & In-State Success Under Vitello
Tennessee has been nearly automatic in midweek games under head coach Tony Vitello, posting a 71-10 record during his tenure, including a 61-6 record since the start of the 2019 season. The Vols are a perfect 7-0 in midweek contests this season.
The Vols have also had great success against in-state opponents over the past few years, posting a 14-2 record since 2022 against fellow Volunteer State foes (1-0 this season). The only two defeats in that span have come at the hands of Tennessee Tech.
Home Run Record Chase Heating Up
UT’s talented duo of Blake Burke and Christian Moore are in hot pursuit of the program’s all-time home run record of 40 held by Luc Lipcius (2017-22). Burke enters this week with 38 while Moore is right behind him with 37 after hitting three last week. Burke is currently tied for third in program history with UT legend and Pro Baseball Hall of Famer Todd Helton (1993-95) while Moore is tied for fifth with Doug Hecker (1990-92). Moore is tied for the team lead and ninth in the SEC with 10 homers this season while Burke is one of four players tied for third on the team with eight long balls.
Tears Tearing It Up
Redshirt sophomore Kavares Tears is having a breakout season and enters this week leading the team and ranking third in the SEC in batting average (.405) and runs scored (35). The Lewisburg, Tennessee, native has recorded at least one hit in 21 of the 24 games he’s played in this year. Tears also leads the team with a .500 on-base percentage and ranks in the top-10 in the SEC in on-base percentage and slugging percentage (.772) after racking up 13 extra-base hits with five doubles and eight home runs this season.
In four games last week, Tears led the team in numerous offensive categories, batting .538 with seven hits, eight runs, a .647 on-base percentage and a 1.077 slugging percentage. He also homered twice and drove in four runs.
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (13-11, 1-2 OVC)
The Vols host No. 24 Georgia for a three-game set this weekend in Knoxville. First pitch for Friday’s series opener is slated for 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. The final two games of the series will be televised on the SEC Network.
11:45 a.m. Update:
Top Maryland officials provided an update on the investigation and rescue efforts after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore on Tuesday
Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and state law enforcement and transportation officials spoke to reporters about the status of search and rescue efforts and the investigation after a cargo ship struck the bridge, causing it to plummet into Baltimore Harbor.
“Our response teams are doing everything in our power to rescue and recover the victims of this collapse,” Moore said.
“The preliminary investigation points to an accident,” he said.
Eight workers contracted with the Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary to fix potholes on the bridge were working at the time of its collapse, according to DOT Secretary Paul Wiedefeld. Two of them were pulled from the water, one in critical condition who has been hospitalized. The other is not in the hospital.
Six workers remain unaccounted for and are being searched for, Wiedefeld said.
Fast Facts
The crew of the cargo ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore lost power and issued a mayday in the moments before the disaster, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.
The container ship Dali sent the mayday in time for authorities to stop traffic from entering the bridge, limiting the number of vehicles involved in what officials have called a “mass casualty event.”
“We’re thankful that between the mayday and the collapse that we had officials who were able to begin to stop the flow of traffic so more cars were not on the bridge,” Moore said.
Authorities said a crew of eight construction workers were on the bridge, in addition to any traffic at the time of the collapse.
Search and rescue operations pulled two workers from the water, one in critical condition who was hospitalized. Efforts to locate the other six are ongoing.
Authorities said that sonar had detected cars in the water, which is about 50 feet deep. The temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit before dawn on Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Moore said an investigation is ongoing to determine how many people were caught in the collapse and plunged into the river.
“But the thing we do know is that many of the vehicles were stopped before they got onto the bridge, which saved lives in a very, very heroic way.”
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday, sending rescue workers into a frenzy to find anyone who may have fallen into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River.
The Baltimore Ravens released a statement, sending out their condolences to anyone who was affected by the shocking collapse.
“Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by the horrific Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse early this morning,” the team said in a statement posted to X.
“We are grateful for the first responders and local leaders who are on scene to lead the search and rescue efforts and to support those families who have been most directly impacted.
“We know that the Baltimore community will stand together in the aftermath of this tragic event.”
A livestream of the bridge appeared to show a cargo ship colliding with a support beam, causing the bridge to break apart and fall into the Patapsco River. Officials said several people were missing and multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time it fell.
The water below the bridge is about 50 feet deep, and the water temperature was about 47 degrees during the pre-dawn collapse. Story courtesy of Fox News
The Francis Scott Key Bridge’s collapse was all but inevitable once a cargo ship rammed into one of the bridge’s main supports, according to one expert.
Shocking video shows the moment the bridge appears to snap and fall apart into the Patapsco River. Maryland officials have said there was no structural issues and that the bridge was fully up to code.
“Part of the problem was this was a massive tanker ship. It was not only carrying a very heavy load, but it was also not just wide, it was tall as well. So it was almost the height of the bridge,” said Dr. Ron Harichandran, dean of the Tagliatela College of Engineering at University of New Haven.
Harichandran, a civil engineer, told Fox News Digital the cargo ship destroyed one of the concrete piers that supported the bridge, sealing its fate.
“If it had not directly hit that and if it had hit between the piers, the bridge may not have completely collapsed because bridges are designed to have some redundancy. But if you hit one of its main support structures, then it’s very difficult for it to survive,” he explained.
Modern designs have a sort of “bumper system” around the pier intended to absorb a potential impact, according to Harichandran.
“But again, you know, those can withstand limited amounts of impact, but it’s something so massive in terms of cargo vessel. Nothing could be designed to withstand something as large as that.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., told reporters he spoke to the Department of Transportation and that the Biden administration will commit emergency funding for the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster.
Van Hollen said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the department “will do everything they can to very quickly release emergency funds for this important project.”
“Our hearts go out to all those who are on the bridge and their loved ones. We pray for them. Our gratitude goes out to the first responders who, as we speak, are continuing to conduct search and rescue operations,” Van Hollen said.
The National Highway Transportation Administration administrator will travel to Baltimore to oversee release of those funds, according to the senator.
Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation into the bridge collapse.
Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers and its naval assets will assist with below the surface clearing of Baltimore Harbor, Van Hollen said.
Updated story: The Francis Scott Key Bridge along I-695 in Maryland collapsed into the Baltimore harbor following a “ship strike” early Tuesday morning, setting off a search and rescue mission for those inside vehicles that plunged into the chilly waters.
A livestream of the bridge appeared to show a cargo ship colliding with a support beam, causing the bridge to break apart and fall into the Patapsco River. Officials said “upwards of 7” people were missing and that two had been pulled from the water. Multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time, but no update on casualties has been offered.
Paul Wiedefeld, secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, told reporters early Tuesday that the FBI was on scene investigating what caused the ship to ram into the bridge and determined it was not linked to terrorism.
When asked whether the ship lost power before striking the bridge, Wiedefeld said that it was too early in the investigation to tell.
Wiedefeld confirmed there were people working on the bridge at the time, though no specific numbers were immediately provided.
Officials are continuing to respond to the catastrophic collapse as an active search and rescue mission, with the U.S. Coast Guard searching for any survivors in the water.
Former Navy SEAL rescue diver on Baltimore bridge collapse: ‘It’s a recovery operation’ Emergency crews including the U.S. Coast Guard, local first responders and the FBI were searching for people believed to be in the water, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press around 3 a.m. Officials have described this as a mass casualty event.
“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright said.
Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said at least two people were pulled from the water following the collapse, with one of them in serious condition.
Wallace said authorities “may be looking for upwards of seven people” but he said that number could change.
The vessel that struck the bridge was a Singapore-flagged cargo ship. The large vessel then caught fire before becoming disabled. Story courtesy of Fox News
Original Story: The Francis Scott Key Bridge along I-695 in Maryland collapsed into the Baltimore harbor early Tuesday morning following a “ship strike,” Maryland transportation officials said.
A livestream of the bridge appeared to show a cargo ship colliding with a support beam, causing the bridge to break and fall into the Patapsco River. Multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time.
Emergency crews were searching for at least 20 people believed to be in the water, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press around 3 a.m. Officials have described this as a mass casualty event. There were no specific number of deceased.
“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright said, calling the collapse a “developing mass casualty event.”
It is believed that a Singapore-flagged cargo ship struck the heavily-traveled bridge. The large vessel then caught fire before it sank.
The Maryland Transportation Authority is urging drivers to avoid the I-695 southeast corridor and to instead use I-95 or I-895.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. confirmed emergency personnel were responding and rescue efforts were underway.
Cartwright said agencies received 911 calls around 1:30 a.m. that a vessel traveling from Baltimore had struck the bridge, causing it to collapse.
“This is a dire emergency,” Cartwright added.
He said there are “some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge” acting as hazards that are creating potentially unsafe and unstable conditions. Emergency responders are operating cautiously as a result.
“[At] 1:35 a.m., Baltimore City police were notified of a partial bridge collapse, with workers possibly in the water, at the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” a spokesperson for Baltimore Police said in a statement to Fox News.
The FBI says it has agents at the scene working alongside first responders.
Multiple emergency crews are on the scene assessing the damage and investigating the cause, Fox Baltimore reported.
As of 2:45 a.m., all live camera feeds for the bridge, along I-695, on the Maryland Transportation Authority website are offline.
The iconic bridge is named after Francis Scott Key, who authored the American National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It opened in 1977. Story courtesy of Fox News
