A fallen bridge, a grieving son and a return to a familiar field

Miguel Luna was on the Key Bridge when it collapsed. During an agonizing wait for his body, his family and friends honored the lifelong soccer player in the only way that felt right.

By
May 4, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. EDT
Juan Juárez leads a prayer in memory of Miguel Luna at a soccer tournament on April 21. (Teo Armus/The Washington Post)
10 min

BALTIMORE — Marvin Luna fished into his bag and eyed the cleats he had brought, just in case.

The 28-year-old had not been planning to play soccer. His knee had been acting up again, and he had agreed to work in his family’s food truck, parked near this patch of green synthetic turf.

Baltimore bridge collapse

How it happened: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship. The container ship lost power shortly before hitting the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. Video shows the bridge collapse in under 40 seconds.

Victims: Divers have recovered the bodies of two construction workers, officials said. They were fathers, husbands and hard workers. A mayday call from the ship prompted first responders to shut down traffic on the four-lane bridge, saving lives.

Economic impact: The collapse of the bridge severed ocean links to the Port of Baltimore, which provides about 20,000 jobs to the area. See how the collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and other goods.

Rebuilding: The bridge, built in the 1970s, will probably take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild, experts said.