20, 2008, 17-year veteran New Orleans Police Officer Tommie Felix was killed when his vehicle drove off the bridge and plunged into the canal while the bridge was in the raised position. Eyewitness accounts say that the gates which come down to indicate the bridge's closure were not functioning at the time, and several other cars came close to driving off the bridge but stopped short. References Bridges in New Orleans Road bridges in Louisiana Vertical lift bridges in Louisiana Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans Bridges completed in 1957 Bridge disasters in the United States Bridge disasters caused by collision Bridge disasters caused by maintenance error Bridge disasters caused by tropical cyclones Bridge disasters involving open moveable bridges Transportation disasters in Louisiana