Ship operator and employee are charged in crash that caused the deadly collapse of Baltimore bridge
BALTIMORE (AP) — Prosecutors announced criminal charges Tuesday in the deadly 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, accusing a Singapore-based ship operator of intentionally relying on an improper fuel pump that contributed to the ruinous crash and then lying about it to investigators.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called it a “preventable tragedy of enormous consequence.”
The indictment names Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., based in Chennai, India. Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who was technical superintendent for the Dali container ship, was also charged.
Synergy Marine expressed disappointment and accused the U.S. Justice Department of turning an accident into a crime.
“This was a maritime casualty that should be assessed through the full factual, technical and regulatory record, rather than through selective mischaracterizations in a criminal indictment. ... Synergy will vigorously defend itself against these inaccurate allegations," the company said.
Nair's lawyer, David Gerger, had a similar response, saying his client “thinks about this accident every day, but he certainly did not cause it.”
Disaster began with a loose wire
The Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, lost power twice in a four-minute span as it moved to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge in the early hours of March 26, 2024. Investigators say a loose wire in a switchboard likely caused the first power loss that led to its steering failure.
After regaining power, the ship found itself in trouble again. The Dali turned to a certain pump to supply fuel to two generators but the pump was not designed to automatically restart after the first blackout, so a second blackout occurred, the indictment says.
If the Dali had used the proper fuel pumps, according to the indictment, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely get under the bridge. Instead, it crashed into a supporting column of the bridge, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes.
“As alleged, the bridge was struck and collapsed because those who were responsible for the ship’s operation deliberately cut corners at the expense of safety,” said Jimmy Paul, head of the FBI’s Baltimore office.
The government alleges that the same problem occurred with same type of pump on two of the Dali's sister ships.
Grand jury returns 47-page indictment
The companies and Nair are charged with conspiracy, misconduct causing death, failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a hazardous condition, obstructing the National Transportation Safety Board and making false statements.
The Synergy companies are also charged with misdemeanors for the release of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents.
The FBI's investigation focused on the vessel’s operations and whether the crew knew of critical systems issues before leaving port. The NTSB found that the two electrical blackouts disabled the controls of the huge cargo ship before it crashed into the bridge.
The ship had experienced two blackouts in port a day earlier, but Synergy didn’t investigate or report those as required and provided false information to the NTSB, the government alleges.
Maryland officials estimate it could cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion to replace the bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic in late 2030.
“The altered skyline is a constant reminder of this tragedy,” Paul said.
But the true cost of the collapse was far greater, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. It halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore, disrupted the livelihoods of thousands, rerouted road traffic through communities already bearing disproportionate burdens and triggered economic problems statewide.
More legal action
The indictment follows a $2.25 billion settlement between the state of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner. The deal was announced in April but the amount was not disclosed until Tuesday.
That lawsuit claimed the crash was the result of negligence, mismanagement and the reckless operation of a vessel that was not seaworthy and should never have left port. Plaintiffs included the owners of cargo aboard the ship and local governments seeking damages for economic losses. Some portions of the lawsuit remain unresolved.
Meanwhile, there's civil litigation pending on behalf of people who died while on the bridge. Trial is scheduled for June 1, though the indictment could cause a delay.
“The biggest takeaway is: ‘Will we get justice now?’ That's the common question we get from our clients daily,” said attorney L. Chris Stewart, who represents four families and a man who survived the bridge crash.
He described the indictment as a “bombshell.”
The bridge, a longstanding Baltimore landmark, was a vital piece of transportation infrastructure that allowed drivers to easily bypass downtown. The original 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) steel span took five years to build and opened to traffic in 1977.
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White reported from Detroit.