Florida drawbridge operator charged in death of 79-year-old woman

A Florida bridge operator has been charged in the death of a 79-year-old woman. The woman had fallen off of the drawbridge when it suddenly opened last month.

According to the New York Post, Artissua Lafay Paulk was charged with manslaughter as a result of the incident that took place on February 6th.

Carol Wright fatally fell after the Royal Park Bridge was raised unsafely. Police found text messages in which Paulk allegedly wrote, “I’m here with the police I killed a lady on the bridge.”

Paulk also supposedly texted her supervisor about lying to the cops and then later deleted the messages. She had claimed to investigators that she had walked on the balcony of the bridge to look for pedestrians. However, surveillance footage has shown that she did not do this. 

Wright had been walking her bike on the bridge when it began rising. The bridge spans between Palm Beach and West Palm beach. The police said that Wright had “tried to hang on” but was unsuccessful.

Police spokesman Mike Jachles said, “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.”