The bridge tender who was working a Florida drawbridge final month when it opened, sending a 79-year-old girl to her death no less than 5 tales under, was arrested Thursday.
Artissua Lafaye Paulk, 43, is charged with one rely of manslaughter by culpable negligence, in line with the West Palm Beach Police Department.
Paulk was working the Royal Park Bridge, which stretches from Lakeview Avenue in West Palm Beach and connects to the island of Palm Beach, when it opened because the 79-year-old walked her bike throughout.
The girl was about 10 toes away from the tip of the bridge when she fell by a niche in the street, NBC affiliate WPTV of West Palm Beach, Florida, reported on the time.
“The woman tried to hang on,” West Palm Beach police spokesperson Mike Jachles informed the news station.
“There was a bystander nearby who tried to help her, but tragically she fell five or six stories below where she died landing on concrete,” he added.
Police mentioned the lady’s title is being withheld below Marsy’s Law, which seeks to guard victims’ privateness rights.
Detectives, final month, obtained a search warrant for Paulk’s cellphone, in line with police. Investigators have decided that she was not on her cellphone on the time of the incident. She has cooperated all through the investigation and was additional questioned after her arrest Thursday.