A 24-year-old single mother of two was found dead beneath a Kansas bridge, prompting investigators to consider whether she accidentally fell through a gap in the bridge deck.
Monica Rivera was last seen taking a morning walk along Kansas City’s 7th Street bridge early Friday, police said. She was reported missing later that day.
Later that morning, authorities discovered a body in an industrial area below the bridge. The victim was subsequently identified as Rivera.
A preliminary autopsy found “no evidence of foul play.” Investigators are now examining the possibility that Rivera unintentionally slipped through a gap in the bridge decking.
“It kind of looks like it’s one continuous deck … but there’s actually a gap,” police spokesperson Nancy Chartrand told the Kansas City Star, referring to Rivera’s death as a “tragic accident.”
“If you were trying to go from one side to the other, you could possibly fall.”
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Rivera’s family believes her death was caused by “a safety oversight.” Her aunt, Cassie Bennett, has since launched a Change.org petition calling on the city to address the issue.
Bennett said the city has failed to correct the problem “despite repeated concerns raised by the community.”
“This fatal accident could have been avoided if the city had taken timely action to ensure the safety of its citizens,” she said.
“The neglect of this apparent flaw goes against these standards and must be rectified immediately.”
“By addressing this gap, we can prevent further accidents and ensure our loved ones are safe when they traverse this bridge.”
Rivera, who was from Wyandotte County, has been remembered online by grieving friends as a person with a “beautiful” soul.
“Fly high & stay dancing in the sky. Thank you for being a friend,” her friend Crystal Lynn wrote of Rivera.