Jason Kandel

Father of 2 Sons Remains Hospitalized After Bridge Collapse

Assistance accounts have been created to help the workers' families.

Friends and family on Monday held a close watch on a 33-year-old father of two who was seriously hurt in a bridge accident while wondering what prompted the accident.

Kendra Santos described Jarell Boyd, her boyfriend of 11 years, as a caring father of two boys.

"He's a great dad," said Santos, the mother of his youngest son. "He's an amazing person. He has a big heart."

Assistance accounts have been created should anyone wish to donate to the injured workers, according to the California Transportation Foundation.

They can be found here: http://www.transportationfoundation.org/donate

On Friday night, Boyd was one of the nine workers injured after a partial bridge collapse on the 91 Freeway in Corona.

He suffered severe head trauma and had surgery on Monday.

Santos said neither she nor other family members have been given much information about what happened, only that part of a ramp, which is under construction, gave way.

A jacking operation failed, causing the deck to drop more than a foot, according to the Riverside County Transportation Commission. That sent wooden support beams tumbling onto workers below.

Santos' mother, Pamela Piatt, is concerned that someone made a mistake and negligence may have played a role.

"I'm hoping that it was just a complete accident," she said.

The state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is investigating the cause of the collapse.

Santos and her family want answers.

"I don't understand," she said. "I'm trying to wrap my head around it. And I don't get it."

The family has started a gofundme page to help raise money for his hospital bills.

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