Uber Driver Was Ready to Cross Baltimore Bridge When She Was Stopped by Police and Told It 'Was Gone'

Gayle Fairman's route would have taken her and a passenger over the Baltimore Bridge on Tuesday morning — but a delay helped keep them safe

Maryland Bridge Collapse
The Francis Scott Key Bridge following its collapse on March 26, 2024. Photo:

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

An Uber driver's early morning route on Tuesday morning would have taken her over Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. However, a delay helped keep the driver out of harm's way.

Gayle Fairman told NBC affiliate WBAL that she received a call to pick up a passenger around 1:16 a.m. on Tuesday morning, just minutes before the bridge collapsed at approximately 1:30 a.m. The passenger's intended destination would have involved the Uber vehicle crossing over the Key Bridge. 

According to Fairman, the passenger was a few minutes late, which meant that by the time they arrived at the bridge, they were stopped by police and told that "the bridge was gone."

At a press conference Tuesday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said that the cargo ship involved in the Key bridge collapse sent a “mayday” call before the collision that occurred around 1:30 a.m. That advance warning allowed authorities to “stop the flow of traffic so that more cars were not on the bridge.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Many of the vehicles were stopped before they got on the bridge, which saved lives,” Moore told reporters.

PEOPLE reached out to Fairman for additional comment Thursday.

Six construction workers were missing following the collapse and presumed dead. Four have been publicly identified.

The victims include Miguel Luna, a father of three from El Salvador who was a Maryland resident for about 20 years, according to non-profit organization CASA, and Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, a father of two from Honduras, per CNN

Additionally, two bodies were found from a pickup truck submerged in water. Authorities identified them on Wednesday as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Dundalk. 

Related Articles