Baltimore Bridge Collapse: FBI Reportedly Not Ready To Rule Collision Accidental

It has been over two weeks since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed; however, investigations are ongoing, with the FBI joining the case.

The famous Baltimore bridge crashed on March 26 when a large cargo ship, the Dali, slammed into one of its supporting pillars. 

Now, Federal Bureau officers are not leaving any stone unturned as they investigate what happened behind the scenes in the tragic incident.

According to two senior law enforcement officials, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened a criminal investigation into the vessel to determine if its crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge was accidental.

Similarly, Baltimore's FBI confirmed on Monday that some of its agents had boarded the 985-foot Dali early that day. In their statement, they stressed that their officials were "conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity."

Their investigation will primarily look into what happened when the ship left the port, but part of their probing will reportedly focus on the Dali's crew.

According to sources, the FBI is questioning if the ship's personnel knew the vessel had potential mechanical problems that would have made it unsafe in the harbor.

In line with this question, FBI agents are also collecting physical evidence and data from inside the ship. This information, per NBC News, is related to the moments before, during, and after the Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

News of the FBI's involvement in the Francis Scott Key Bridge case comes at the heels of Baltimore's Mayor, Brandon M. Scott, powerful declaration against those responsible for the heartbreaking incident.

Scott announced on Monday that the city is taking "legal steps" to address the situation and has begun hiring law firms "to launch legal action to hold the wrongdoers responsible and to mitigate the immediate and long-term harm caused to Baltimore City residents." In his words:

"The City of Baltimore will take decisive action to hold responsible all entities accountable for the Key Bridge tragedy, including the owner, charterer, manager/operator, and the manufacturer of the M/V Dali, as well as any other potentially liable third parties."

As reported by The Blast, the Dali, the large cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, is a repeat offender.

A fan drew attention to the vessel's past following the released audio from first responders that was recorded moments before the bridge's collapse.

In the comment section of the TikTok video, the individual claimed: "What's messed up is that the same ship a few years back crashed into a port in Belgium. I'm going to just say it: this is cursed/poorly maintained."

The TikTok user's allegations weren't far from the truth as reports showed the Dali collided with a shipping pier in Belgium. The incident occurred in 2016 as the vessel was leaving the port in Antwerp and struck a loading pier made of stone.

An investigation revealed the collision was caused by a mistake made by the ship's master and pilot. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident; however, the Dali's stern suffered damages.

President Joe Biden addressed the importance of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a press conference days earlier. As noted by The Blast, he noted the significance of the fallen bridge to commuters and himself, saying:

"Every day, over 30,000 vehicles traveled across this bridge, and I was one of those people. I commuted every day from Delaware for 36 years to Washington, D.C., back and forth, and about one-fourth of that time by automobile. I've been to every part of this port."

"Folks, we now face a question no American should ever have to ask, 'How will I get to work? How will I go to school? How will I get to a hospital?'" he continued, noting that the only response should how everyone, including the Congress could help.

He also addressed the construction workers who were on the bridge when it collapsed, noting that six out of eight people who went under water had died. "The damage is devastating, and our hearts are still breaking," Biden said at the press conference.

The president of the United States promised Baltimore's residents that a day would come when this tragedy would "bring a smile" to their lips before their eyes moistened with tears.

As for grieving families, he stressed that they were working hard to find the bodies of the construction workers.

"Also, never forget the contributions these men made to this city. We're going to keep working hard to recover each of them," Biden declared before vowing to restore the Francis Scott Key Bridge. In his words:

"We will not rest, as Carlos said, until the cement has dried and the entirety of a new bridge, a new bridge, [is complete]."

However, he explained that the restoration of the Baltimore Bridge will take time, but they are doing everything to rebuild it as soon as possible. Biden also claimed they had approved $60 million in emergency federal funding.