Man Stuck on Louisiana Bridge During Icy Weather Falls to His Death

UPDATE: The man who died Monday after going over the side of the I-10 bridge in Lake Charles is identified as 37-year-old Jordon Foster of Lake Charles. Westlake Police Chief Christopher Wilrye says Foster was involved in a single vehicle accident and they aren't sure yet whether he jumped or fell from the bridge.

ORIGINAL STORY

Lake Charles, LA (KPEL News) - Reports and social media posts flooded in Monday afternoon as dozens of drivers were stuck on both the I-10 and I-210 bridges in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Rain and freezing rain caused bridges to ice over, and vehicles slipped and crashed as they were caught unaware of how dangerous the situation really was.

One person died after jumping from the I-10 bridge.

People reported being in their cars on either of the Lake Charles bridges for more than 8 hours.

Louisiana State Police says the task of getting cars off an overpass is trickier than you might think. The process involves backing the last vehicle in the line up, car or commercial truck, and doing it safely. Add to that the need for multiple law enforcement officials to work crashes and more to coordinate getting those vehicles out. Daunting!

The videos and pictures from drivers who were stuck abound across all social media platforms, and Louisiana State Police say they either responded to or assisted with several crashes. Removing disabled vehicles proved challenging, as well, because the ice make it difficult to get to them and then off the bridges.

Officers were notified of a multi-vehicle crash on I-10 just before 4:00 Monday afternoon. When the arrived at the scene, witnesses told them a man had jumped off the bridge after the crash.

KPLC reports that first responders found the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Both bridges in Lake Charles are currently open to traffic.