PORTLAND, Ore. — The family of a Portland man who died after he lost control on an icy bridge and plunged into the Columbia River filed a $12 million lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The lawsuit claims ODOT failed to maintain the Glenn Jackson bridge during a winter storm and created a ramp by pushing snow to the shoulder of the bridge, leading to the death of Antonio Amaro Lopez.
“He is gone because of ODOT’s negligence,” said Trevor Cartales of Navigate Law Group. “Moving forward, we hope ODOT will take seriously its duty to safeguard the public. This community cannot afford another tragic loss like this—certainly not at the hands of the very department responsible for transportation safety.”
Cartales filed the lawsuit on behalf of Amaro Lopez’s family in Multnomah County Circuit Court exactly one year after the fatal crash.
On February 14, 2021, Amaro Lopez started driving home from his family’s restaurant in Hazel Dell. Shortly after he left work— drivers reported a maroon SUV lose control, hit an embankment and go over the side of the Glenn Jackson bridge.
After a prolonged search, divers eventually found the wreckage three days later and identified Amaro Lopez. The 57-year-old left behind a wife of 35-years, three daughters and grandchildren.
A KGW investigation found the government agency responsible for maintaining the I-205 Glenn Jackson bridge created conditions that may have contributed to the crash.
“This was entirely caused by improper plowing and maintenance of this bridge,” Larry Levine, an engineer who specializes in accident investigation and reconstruction told KGW in August 2021. “Everything they did made this bridge unsafe.”
For decades, federal highway safety officials have warned about the risk of creating icy snow ramps on the side of plowed bridges.
A spokesperson for ODOT declined to comment due to pending litigation.
Editor's note: the video above originally aired on Aug. 4, 2021.