A 77-year-old retired journalist dies after falling from a Wisconsin drawbridge. Let’s see about the Milwaukee bridge death and Richard Dujardin Cause of death in detail
How did he die?
The drawbridge a 77-year-old visitor was crossing this week suddenly opened, sending him plummeting to his death.
On Monday in Milwaukee, it started to rise as Richard Dujardin, a resident of Providence, Rhode Island, crossed the bridge close to Kilbourn Avenue and Riverwalk Walk.
The medical examiner’s report stated that “the lights, bells, and arms came down at each end of the bridge, but Richard was hard of hearing and it is assumed that he didn’t see them.”
As he walked, Dujardin was also focusing on an iPad.
The report added, “[Dujardin] panicked and grabbed onto the side rail as [the bridge] began to rise.
Before he lost his hold and dropped roughly 70 feet, he clung to the railing for about one to two minutes.
Richard Dujardin Cause of death
Dujardin passed away after serious head injuries, and despite police doing CPR at the site, they were unable to save him.
Thus, severe head trauma during this accident was Richard Dujardin Cause of death.
Rose-Marie Dujardin, who had crossed the bridge ahead of her husband, was also present.
Authorities were informed by the woman that the couple had come to Milwaukee on Friday for a conference and that they were en route to Saint Mary’s Catholic Church for noon Mass before departing for home later that day.
Two live video cameras are used to remotely control the drawbridges in Milwaukee.
Operators are told to check the cameras before opening the bridge, the medical examiner’s report states.
What did police reports confess?
The report stated that “[Dujardin] wears dark-colored attire, and the railing of the bridge is dark green.”
Police stated on Wednesday that they are still looking into the incident.
The unnamed bridge operator has been given leave by customary procedure and will get counseling.
Interim Public Works Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke issued a statement saying, “We at the Department of Public Works offer our heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends.
who lost their loved one from a tragic accident at the Kilbourn Avenue Bridge on Monday.”
“At the time of the occurrence, our employee was a fourth-year bridge operator who had completed hundreds of bridge openings. He was adequately trained.”
After working for the Providence Journal for 47 years as a religious writer, Dujardin’s sudden passing shocked the city of Providence.
He wrote thousands of pieces as a devoted Catholic, covering everything from the election of new popes to the effects of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait on the Muslim minority in Rhode Island.
Who is Richard Dujardin?
Richard Dujardin, who was born in 1944, was raised in Queens, attended a Catholic all-boys high school, and then majored in journalism at Fordham University in the Bronx.
Dujardin, who is aged 77, is survived by his six children—including Peter.
Richard Dujardin career
He started working as a reporter for The Providence Journal two weeks after graduating.
He followed his career path into journalism and is currently employed for the Daily Press and Virginia Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia—and his wife of 54 years, Rose-Marie.
Peter wrote a Facebook post about his father in which he claimed that, despite his advanced age, “my great dad” had held onto the rising bridge “valiantly” for several minutes before slipping.
Richard was a devoted Catholic, but as a longtime reporter on the “God beat,” he was ecumenical in his reporting as he covered notable figures from all religions, from Billy Graham to the Dalai Lama.
Les Gutterman, a rabbi from Providence, lauded Dujardin’s “capacity to listen carefully” and how he “always generously captured his subjects” in an obituary that was published by the Journal on Wednesday.
In 2013, Dujardin left the Journal. The Religion Newswriters Association presented him with the William A. Reed Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
Around the same time, Carol Young arrived and recalled working as a cub reporter alongside Richard in the Warren bureau of the newspaper, one of the state’s half-dozen local news bureaus.
“We were two young people in our early 20s trying to establish ourselves,” Carol recalled.
And they did: during a period and in a place where it was a significant beat, Carol advanced to become deputy executive editor and Dujardin became the dean of Rhode Island religious journalists.
He was meticulous and thoughtful, Carol recalled, adding, “Kind of an egghead – very brilliant, and his stories showed it.”
His Achievements
Retired Journal reporter Dujardin receives lifetime achievement award for religious writers
She remembers finding it amusing when Richard became a father for the first time, then for the second time, and so on until he was six.
“My god, how many of these are you going to have?” I used to tease him. Carol stated.
When he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Dujardin took a three-year hiatus from The Journal and served in the Mediterranean and Guantanamo Bay.
His Navy responsibilities included public affairs and being a religious lay leader, reflecting his two areas of interest.
When he was hired as The Journal’s religion reporter in 1977, he subsequently admitted that he was concerned about having enough material to write about.
After thirty years and tens of thousands of religious essays, he had his response.
The Religion Newswriters Association presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015, a distinction that had previously gone to reporters from publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today.
But Richard’s journalism career demonstrated that he was also an expert in a different field.
As changing times forced newspapers to consolidate, The Journal eliminated many beats, including religion.
Tributes to Richard Dujardin
Gutterman said,
“He interviewed people of many faiths and no faiths with respect,” . Richard had the ability to listen deeply, Gutterman added, and always generously captured his subjects.
We’re so sorry to read this news. Our deepest condolences to his loved ones.
Gerald Carbone, posted,
“His calmness,” wrote Carbone, “emanated from a deep place of faith.”
A hat tip to @SCarson_New , a religion reporter at the @journalsentine , who first wrote about Richard’s death and his life as a journalist.
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.