Viral image of submerged car isn't from Baltimore bridge collapse | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·2 min read

The claim: Photos show aftermath of Baltimore bridge collapse

A March 26 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes images of a destroyed bridge and a partly submerged vehicle that it claims show the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

“A major bridge in the US city of Baltimore almost entirely collapsed Tuesday after being struck by a container ship, sending multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below,” reads the start of the post.

It garnered more than 1,000 likes in two days. Another version of the claim spread widely on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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Our rating: Partly false

The larger photo of a bridge was taken at the scene of the Baltimore incident, but the photo of the vehicle in water was not. It dates back to January 2022 and shows a car crash in Northern Ireland.

Car photo taken in UK in 2022

The larger image does show the collapsed Baltimore bridge, as it matches one that the Harford County Volunteer Fire and Emergency Medical Services Association posted on its Facebook page hours after the incident.

While there were vehicles on the bridge that fell into the water, the smaller photo does not depict one of them. It was taken in Europe and predates the Baltimore collapse by more than two years.

It shows the scene after a driver crashed into a bridge and ended up in a river near Dungiven, Northern Ireland, according to January 2022 reports from U.K. outlets including the BBC and the Belfast Telegraph. The driver was rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service West also posted the photo, among several others from the incident, on its Facebook page.

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USA TODAY has debunked an array of false claims about the Baltimore bridge collapse, including that a video shows “dynamite” detonating during the incident, that a cyberattack caused the ship to crash into the bridge and that a video shows an explosion on the bridge.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The Quint and AFP Fact Check also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Partly false claim images show Baltimore bridge collapse | Fact check