Crews began removing the wreckage from the Aurora Bridge Thursday evening. Police officers and other officials watched as the Duck vehicle was loaded onto a flatbed tow truck. A 17-member, interdisciplinary team from the National Transportation Safety Board, along with an NTSB board member, are due to arrive in Seattle Friday to begin their inquiry into the crash. Mayor Ed Murray said the city has been in touch with the governor’s office and the U.S. State Department to assist families of the victims, expected to travel here from several countries.
Murray said he said he expects city officials, including himself, will make themselves available to meet with families of those who have been killed or injured. The Seattle Hotel Association has offered to provide rooms for victims’ family members as they arrive in Seattle.
Murray said “This is a very very very very difficult moment for so many families in our community.”
Chief O’Toole said she understands there is a “strong need for answers . . . But it is too early at this point to draw any conclusions as to the cause of this accident.”
After the police complete their investigation, Seattle Transportation crews will inspect the bridge surface and its underside to see if it can be safely reopened, said SDOT Director Scott Kubly.