Bonney Lake family killed, A couple and their infant son were killed Monday when a construction slab fell from an overpass onto a pickup in Bonney Lake.
Josh and Vanessa Ellis, both in their 20s, and their 8-month-old son, Hudson, were identified Monday evening by the EastPointe Foursquare Church in Puyallup on the church’s Facebook page. The Ellises were youth pastors at the church.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their family,” the Bonney Lake Police Department said. “Thank you to our community for your patience during today’s tragic event.”
It was initially reported that one person died, but the number of victims was updated after the damaged vehicle was extricated from the concrete barrier Monday evening.The barrier fell from the overpass of Highway 410 onto Angeline Street, crushing the Toyota pickup about 10:30 a.m. It was not immediately known what caused the “very heavy” concrete structure to fall.
Construction crews were installing a sidewalk on the overpass when the chunk of concrete fell, according to a spokesman for Bonney Lake.
Bonney Lake police, the state Department of Transportation and representatives from general contractor WHH Nisqually are investigating.
City spokesman Woody Edvalson said the material that fell was part of the original span, which was built in 1992 and has a sufficiency rating of 95.3 out of 100.
Construction for a $1.8 million city-sidewalk project to improve pedestrian access along the highway started about a month ago. The contractor for the work, WHH Nisqually Federal Services, LLC, had crews on scene when Monday’s incident occurred. Edvalson identified the subcontractor doing the work as Staton Companies of Springfield, Ore.
“The project was to add a pedestrian walkway along that overpass on SR 410,” Edvalson said.
The project included rebuilding the north side of the bridge, adding a sewer line, widening Highway 410 between the bridge and 192nd Avenue, and adding bases for future street lights, according to city documents.
Investigators with the state Department of Labor & Industries were on their way to the site by midday, according to spokesman Tim Church. Church said a preliminary review of WHH Nisqually did not show any prior penalties or citations.Edvalson said police and other agencies are investigating what caused the “fixed portion of that bridge to roll off onto a passing family.”
He said the incident is “very sorrowful” and that he hopes there will be an answer to what happened so that “we can learn something that will lead to improved construction techniques.”
The city has set up a location on Angeline Street for people to leave tokens and memorials, Edvalson said.
In addition, the EastPointe Foursquare Church will hold a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the church, 15502 96th Street East.
Material from Seattle Times reporters Christine Clarridge and Paige Cornwell and The Associated Press is included in this report.
Josh and Vanessa Ellis, both in their 20s, and their 8-month-old son, Hudson, were identified Monday evening by the EastPointe Foursquare Church in Puyallup on the church’s Facebook page. The Ellises were youth pastors at the church.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their family,” the Bonney Lake Police Department said. “Thank you to our community for your patience during today’s tragic event.”
It was initially reported that one person died, but the number of victims was updated after the damaged vehicle was extricated from the concrete barrier Monday evening.The barrier fell from the overpass of Highway 410 onto Angeline Street, crushing the Toyota pickup about 10:30 a.m. It was not immediately known what caused the “very heavy” concrete structure to fall.
Construction crews were installing a sidewalk on the overpass when the chunk of concrete fell, according to a spokesman for Bonney Lake.
Bonney Lake police, the state Department of Transportation and representatives from general contractor WHH Nisqually are investigating.
City spokesman Woody Edvalson said the material that fell was part of the original span, which was built in 1992 and has a sufficiency rating of 95.3 out of 100.
Construction for a $1.8 million city-sidewalk project to improve pedestrian access along the highway started about a month ago. The contractor for the work, WHH Nisqually Federal Services, LLC, had crews on scene when Monday’s incident occurred. Edvalson identified the subcontractor doing the work as Staton Companies of Springfield, Ore.
“The project was to add a pedestrian walkway along that overpass on SR 410,” Edvalson said.
The project included rebuilding the north side of the bridge, adding a sewer line, widening Highway 410 between the bridge and 192nd Avenue, and adding bases for future street lights, according to city documents.
Investigators with the state Department of Labor & Industries were on their way to the site by midday, according to spokesman Tim Church. Church said a preliminary review of WHH Nisqually did not show any prior penalties or citations.Edvalson said police and other agencies are investigating what caused the “fixed portion of that bridge to roll off onto a passing family.”
He said the incident is “very sorrowful” and that he hopes there will be an answer to what happened so that “we can learn something that will lead to improved construction techniques.”
The city has set up a location on Angeline Street for people to leave tokens and memorials, Edvalson said.
In addition, the EastPointe Foursquare Church will hold a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the church, 15502 96th Street East.
Material from Seattle Times reporters Christine Clarridge and Paige Cornwell and The Associated Press is included in this report.
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