Man says concrete from NKY bridge falls, lands on his car while driving on I-471

A shattered windshield. A torn-up hood. That's the damage Dakota Shay must now pay to fix after he said concrete fell on his car while driving on I-471.

The 30-year-old father said he was driving north on I-471 on his way home on June 5, passing under the Highland Avenue Bridge between Fort Thomas and Southgate when he said pieces of concrete crashed down.

"I just kind of blacked out for a second," he told us Tuesday. "Everything was nice and calm and then there was glass flying around."

Shay initially thought he'd been hit by another car but he soon realized what hit him came from above, he said. He pulled over to the shoulder and called 911.

Several Fort Thomas police officers arrived not long after.

Dakota Shay

Shay was uninjured, largely because the debris fell on his passenger side. But the impact did scatter glass fragments inside his car, some in places where they could have hit his toddler son if he'd been in the car.

"I have a 3-year-old that usually is with me, but I was on my way home so he wasn't with me," Shay said. "But there was some glass in his car seat."

Thankful he doesn't have to worry about medical bills, Shay said he does have to come up with money to pay the auto repair shop.

His insurance will cover most of the $6,000 estimate, but he will still need to pay $1,000 of the deductible.

Shay said while he waits for his car to be repaired, he wants state road officials to make fixes of their own. He filed a negligence claim with the Kentucky Transportation Department, but he said it would take between 90 and 120 days for the agency to process it.

Maddy Schmidt

WCPO reached out to KYTC for comment in response to Shay's complaints.

A spokesperson wrote back saying before June 5, the Highland Avenue Bridge was last inspected on Sept. 11, 2023, as part of a two-year routine inspection cycle.

KYTC deemed the bridge safe again last week after shutting down it and several lanes of I-471 to conduct an inspection.

"Ensuring the safety of all road users is a priority of this administration. KYTC performed an inspection on June 5, following an initial report from law enforcement of falling debris on the Highland Avenue bridge. Inspectors found no structural concerns with the bridge, and no visible material is missing," the spokesperson said in a statement. "Once the inspection was completed and confirmed safe, crews reopened all lanes on I-471 and Highland Avenue. The public is encouraged to report any road hazards on state routes by calling submitting our Report a Hazard form [ bpm.kytc.ky.gov ] or calling 888-FOR-KYTC."

Shay's traffic collision report does, however, seem to corroborate his claims that pieces of the bridge fell down to the highway below.

An officer notes the concrete fragments seen in photos Shay took on the side of the highway.

Maddy Schmidt

"These concrete pieces were still on the hood of his car when he pulled over," the officer wrote.

The report also reads that officers found more debris by the bridge.

"Several more pieces of concrete that fell from the bridge were also located on I-471 under the overpass," the officer wrote.

"They said that it was structurally sound and that everything was OK but there is — obviously, there is some concrete coming off of it," said Shay. "Just maintaining the structure itself would be helpful, just ensuring no one else gets a rock through their window or worse."