On a morning in early February 1980, while working as a field geologist on the foundation caisson installations with Long Drilling for the future 12-story Erlanger Profession Office Building, a call came in.
Danny Whitt, Long Drilling caisson superintendent, received word of a major bridge failure on Amnicola Highway. We drove to the site just after daybreak as our interest was to go there as an observer.
The following photos captured in part what we saw.
Those pictured were Police Commissioner Gene Roberts and officers of the Chattanooga Police Department, and WDOD Radio News Reporters, Sharon Seay and Earl Freudenberg.
CPD Officer Syd Hogsett almost caught his cruiser in the collapse.
Also at the scene were officials from the Tennessee Highway Department, Chattanooga engineers and others,
Photos ©1980 Mark A Herndon #ChattanoogaHasHistory