London Bridge Damaged Again: New Details Surface on Fifth Incident

New details have emerged about a car accident that damaged a section of the London Bridge earlier this month.

On the weekend following July 4th, a Honda Civic lost control while traveling on the bridge and collided with the railing, damaging multiple pillars. The vehicle sustained extensive damage and had to be towed from the scene. Three individuals involved were cited and later released on several charges.

Erika Yadira, a 41-year-old from Las Vegas, was cited for driving without a license. Additionally, Jouse Ruiz-James, 18, and Cecilia Recinos, 60, were cited for giving false statements to the responding officer.

The police report revealed that Recinos, whose statement was translated from Spanish, initially claimed she was driving the vehicle when the crash occurred. She stated that another car swerved out of control and hit them, leading to the accident. Ruiz-James also claimed to have seen another car swerving but did not see it hit the Honda Civic.

After reviewing nearby cameras, law enforcement determined that no second vehicle was involved. The crash resulted from Yadira striking the curb and losing control of the vehicle. Under further questioning, both Recinos and Ruiz-James admitted their initial statements were false. Recinos said she claimed to be the driver to prevent her daughter, Yadira, from getting into trouble.

Court records show Yadira’s civil arraignment was set for July 10, with no updates available on the cases of Recinos or Ruiz-James. Yadira may face additional charges for criminal damage once the cost of repairs for the bridge is determined. The damage was reportedly fixed a little over a week after the incident.

This accident is not the first to damage the London Bridge. In 2020, a drunk driver caused significant damage to the railing, resulting in a $237,000 repair bill. In 2014, another single-vehicle accident damaged a section of the bridge in the same general area. At the time, it was the third such incident since the bridge’s relocation to Lake Havasu City.