Italian cruise ship captain lands new job

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Ship strikes Kentucky bridge, portion collapses

updated 1/27/2012 12:14:35 PM ET

BENTON, Ky. — State officials are inspecting what's left of a southwestern Kentucky bridge that collapsed after a cargo ship carrying aviation parts struck it.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Chuck Wolfe says inspectors began the in-depth review of the Eggner Ferry Bridge at daylight Friday.

The Delta Mariner cargo ship struck the span Thursday evening. No injuries were reported. Officials were unable to say where the ship was traveling when it struck the bridge.

They said the collapse meant vehicles needing to cross the Kentucky Lake reservoir and the Tennessee River had to be detoured for dozens of miles.

Officials say about 2,800 vehicles travel daily on the bridge, which was due to be replaced.

Robert Parker, 51, of Cadiz, said he and his wife were traveling northbound on the highway in the rain at about 8 p.m. when they suddenly noticed a missing 20-foot piece of the bridge, which at that section stands at least 20 feet above the water.

"All of a sudden I see the road's gone and I hit the brakes," he said. "It got close."

Parker said he stopped his pickup within five feet of the missing section. Two cars behind him stopped on his bumper and he saw another car on the other side of the missing section stopped.

He said he didn't feel the vessel strike the bridge but "felt the bridge was kind of weak." Parker said he had to take a 50-mile detour to get home.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46164194.../#.TyMN7oHNllo

JC