Woman Survives Plunge From Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Morgan Lake's car fell 27 feet into the water

Woman Plunges 40-Feet Off Bridge, Survives


One woman's trip on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge turned into a bridge commuter's nightmare after a rear-end collision sent her car tumbling 27 feet down into the water below.

According to The Washington Post, driver Morgan Lake had just exited the tollbooth in her 2007 Chrysler Sebring and was headed home in the eastbound lane. Traffic was at a standstill when a speeding tractor-trailer filled up her rearview mirror and hit her car. The impact drove her small car over the protective concrete barrier and into the water. Lake survived by swimming out of a broken window to a rocky support piling under the bridge.

Lake is lucky. If this accident happened further up the bridge she could have dropped more than 180 feet into a much deeper part of the bay. The Washington Post reports AAA contacted the National Transportation Safety board asking them to investigate whether the railings and barriers are high enough to keep drivers safe.

Driving across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge can be such a nerve-wracking commute, with only a claustrophobic six inches between cars and safety railings, that some commuters pay $25 to have shuttle drivers drive their car across for them, the newspaper said.

If driving over or around water fills you with dread take steps to protect yourself. Watch the below video to learn how to exit a submerged car and get to safety.

The List #0147: Escape a Car Underwater

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