New bridge in Los Angeles is hot spot for crazy and dangerous stunts. And now a boy of 17 is dead | Abroad

Los Angeles police were called to a tragedy at the so-called “6th Street Bridge” on Saturday night and quickly located the boy. He was alive, but succumbed to his injuries not long after. Apart from the fact that it concerns a boy of barely 17, the police did not release any further information about his identity. Well about what happened to him: the teenager slipped and fell while climbing one of the bridge’s signature arches. He was filming his antics, police chief Michel Moore told American media.

The new bridge with the characteristic arches opened in July last year. The original viaduct was very famous, that iconic bridge was seen in films such as ‘Greace’, ‘Terminator 2’, ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ and ‘Drive’. The new bridge will probably also often appear in films. It is the largest and most expensive bridge ever built in Los Angeles: it is a major project costing a total of $ 588 million (548 million euros) and is specifically designed to become a true city symbol and landmark.

The bridge is just over a kilometer long and connects the trendy ‘Arts District’ in the center of the city with the ‘Eastside’. The concrete colossus over the Los Angeles River is equipped with thousands of LED lights and offers beautiful views of the LA skyline

But the police have had to close the bridge several times; numerous incidents happen. After all, the architectural masterpiece quickly became a hotspot for social media stunts – in which people regularly walk and climb the arches – and it is a popular place for dangerous street races, graffiti gatherings and many other illegal activities.

For example, there was that weird viral stunt where a man sat in a barber chair in the middle of passing traffic. Or that time when hundreds of spectators gathered on the bridge to watch daredevils perform stunts with cars.

The internet is full of videos recorded on the bridge. And sometimes that error ends. Not long after the opening, a video circulated of a man making donuts on the bridge with his car, losing control of the wheel, ramming two cars and then fleeing on foot. And so several more accidents happened. Or more tragically, in January a man was shot dead on the bridge while making an unauthorized music video. And now a 17-year-old boy is dead.

Meanwhile, the boy’s family has responded to a local news station. Paul Luna confirms at ‘KTLA 5’ that his son Anthony Luna (17) died tragically after falling from the bridge. But he denies that the teen was filming for social media. “I saw the video of the boys,” said the father. (Anthony was with his friends at the time of the drama, ed.). “It was a kid who was just being a kid with his friends,” he says. “It was an accident. They were having fun. They climbed onto the bridge and he slipped.”

The police are calling on everyone to stop all that dangerous stuff on the bridge in any way. “While the location has been welcomed with great pride to Los Angeles, we regret that it has also served as a backdrop to tragedies such as this fatal incident,” said Police Chief Michel Moore. “Our services will step up patrols on the ground to try to counter similar reckless actions.”

The authorities also hope to solve a few things with security fences, cameras and speed bumps, among other things. Meanwhile, officers are constantly writing fines and seizing vehicles. “We are asking everyone to stop this behavior and recognize that this is a place in Los Angeles that we all want to be proud of,” the police said. “We want to show the world that we are a world-class city and that we maintain and respect these kinds of places.”