Several construction workers who were doing work on the Platt Bridge in South Philadelphia were in for a surprise early yesterday. A man apparently didn't see, or perhaps more likely, disregarded, the "bridge closed" signs, which were in place so that construction and repair work could be done. The man drove across the bridge anyway, colliding with a piece of construction equipment head-on.

Three of the construction workers sustained injuries, while the driver was killed. The workers who were injured were apparently knocked to the bridge deck when the driver smashed into the equipment, thought to be a construction crane or a boom lift. All three workers were taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Their injuries were described as non-life-threatening, according to CBS Philadelphia's website.

The bridge remained closed for several hours while the scene was cleared. Police remained through the morning hours to continue an investigation. In the meantime, drivers were re-routed to Interstate 95.

At this point, it's not clear why the driver, who was 32 years old, crashed head-on into the crane or why he was on the bridge in the first place. It appears that he may have maneuvered his vehicle around a construction barrier to get onto the bridge, according to the Republic.

Construction zones can be dangerous and it's important that all drivers heed all construction signs to avoid accidents like this. Ignoring them not only puts a driver's life at risk, but those of construction workers as well. Please drive safely.

Source: CBS Philadelphia, "Driver killed in crash on Platt Bridge," Al Novack, Feb. 6, 2012