The First Victim Of The Florida Bridge Collapse Has Been Identified

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An 18-year-old student at Florida International University was among those killed Thursday when a pedestrian bridge collapsed at the Miami college, crushing cars and traffic passing beneath it, her father told local media.

Alexa Duran is the first of at least six victims to be publicly identified. Her father. Orlando Duran, told the Nuevo Herald that she was unable to escape when the structure fell.

“My little girl was trapped in the car and couldn’t get out. She died when the bridge collapsed on top of her car,” he said, speaking in Spanish from London. "This is going to be the longest and saddest trip of my life. I don’t want to return."

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Duran was driving with a friend and fellow student, Richard Humble, who was able to escape when the bridge collapsed, but was unable to save Duran.

“We were parked at a red light. And I started to hear the bridge creak," Humble told the Today show Friday. "So, I looked up and I saw the bridge falling on top of us. It fell on the roof of the car and caved in."

Humble said the car’s roof caved on his neck and “squished” him down.

“I didn't know what was going on. I screamed her name over and over but I didn't hear anything,” he said.

Humble called his mother shortly after the accident.

“He said, ‘I have a lot of blood around me. I have a lot of blood,’” she told Today.

Friends described Duran to the Miami Herald as person who would “lighten up any room.”

“She is the funniest person I know,” said friend and fellow student Lynnet Gomez.

Rescue teams continued to work through the evening Thursday, but on Friday officials said the effort had turned to recovery.

"This bridge was about goodness, not sadness," Florida International University President Mark Rosenberg said during a news conference. "Now we're feeling immense sadness, incontrollable sadness, and our hearts go out to all those impacted."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Up To Six People Were Killed When A Pedestrian Bridge Collapsed At Florida International University

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