“Spark ball” as the car pulls away from Dames Point Bridge

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – He described it as a “ball of sparks.”

A member of Jacksonville City Council is among the witnesses to a crash over the weekend at Dames Point Bridge that sent a car coming off the bridge.

It ended with a dramatic rescue with firefighters pulling the driver out of the car safely from the St. Louis River. Johns.

For District 2 City Councilor Al Ferraro and his wife, Saturday night was not another trip.

“Before she got to the bridge, she said, ‘How many people have fallen off the bridge?’ remembered. “I told him not to worry about it. It’s safe. “

But the conditions of the time were worrying due to heavy rain and thick fog. Moments later, they saw a shock.

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“We just saw what looks like a ball of sparks coming out the side,” Ferraro said. “It simply came to our notice then. We had one of the light poles that landed in front of our truck.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a speeding vehicle struck a 27-year-old man’s car from behind and caused the 27-year-old car to cross the bridge.

Ferraro said the car appeared to have been lifted over the other vehicle after the impact.

“I always have safety issues on the bridge,” he said, noting that he has reported that there is debris accumulating.

Ferraro called 911 and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department arrived within minutes, resulting in a rescue in which firefighters used a ladder and ropes to drop the 27-year-old and pull him out. the roof of his submerged car.

PHOTO GALLERY: Dames Point Rescue

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“We didn’t hesitate at all,” JFRD chief Kris Jolly said on “The Morning Show” at 9 a.m. Tuesday. “We just went straight to work and we knew what we had to do and luckily everything was going as planned.”

“FHP and JSO were already there and had a shooting rope that held him in place,” said JFRD captain Phillip Orelli, who was the rescuer at the end of the rope. “We looked at each other and we knew what we had to do.”