The Queen Isabella Causeway Collapse

In the days after 9/11, the country was on high alert. So when an alarming incident occurred just off the Texas coast on the early morning hours of September 15th, authorities immediately assumed another terrorist attack had taken place. A towing vessel collided into a support pillar of the Queen Isabella Causeway, causing an 80-foot section of the bridge to tumble into the ocean. Unfortunately, the gaping hole left in the bridge was not visible to cars traveling to and from South Padre Island to the mainland city of Port Isabel, Texas. Robert Espericueta, along with his cousins, happened to be in the only other boat on the waters that night. Espericueta collaborates with author Juan Carmona to track the extraordinary events of a bewildering catastrophe and a heroic rescue.

Juan P. Carmona is a social studies teacher at Donna High School and a dual enrollment history instructor through South Texas College. A member of the award-winning Refusing to Forget Project and the Hidalgo County Historical Commission, he is the author of The Alton Bus Crash and The Deadly 1940 Alamo Train Crash. With a career crowned by numerous accolades, Robert Espericueta has carved a unique niche in the world of documentary filmmaking and scriptwriting. His directorial debut, The Collapse, along with his second critically acclaimed film, Conquista, marked twenty years of unwavering dedication, patience and artistic vision, finally brought to life.