Florida student nearly crushed in FIU bridge collapse files suit

The 19-year-old student riding in the same car as a woman killed when the Florida University Pedestrian bridge collapsed earlier this month filed a lawsuit against the construction and engineering companies responsible for the structure.

Richard Humble was in the passenger seat of Alexa Duran’s SUV when they heard the horrifying crack of the 950-ton pedestrian bridge in the seconds before slabs of concrete and debris crashed down on top of them on March 15. They’d been driving home from a doctor's appointment at the time.

Duran was one of six people killed in the deadly incident.

Humble’s lawsuit, filed Thursday in Miami-Dade Circuit court, takes aim at the companies who designed the bridge — including FIGG Bridge Engineers and Munilla Construction Management, Local 10 reported.

He’s seeking damages for “past and future pain and suffering, loss of the capacity for the enjoyment of life, aggravation of pre-existing conditions, rehabilitation expenses and past and future mental distress, which has manifested itself in physical injuries, including headaches, nausea, sleeplessness, debilitating phobias and ongoing nightmares,” according to the lawsuit.

In the aftermath of the collapse, Humble said he ran from the vehicle and began the desperate search for his pal. Her father confirmed she was among the dead the following day.

“We tried to duck, but at the same time, it was just way too fast,” he told NBC at the time.

“I screamed her name over and over again, but I didn’t hear anything.”

Days before the deadly incident, workers installed the 174-foot span of bridge in just a single morning. It was intended to provide a safer route for students traveling between campus and the Miami suburb of Sweetwater.