Emphasizing the importance of infrastructureДЄfter the bridge was repaired, Doucette would cross I-40 when covering other stories and remember interacting with first responders following the tragedy. вЂњThey get a chance to talk about somebody that they love and know in a way that goes beyond what happened to them,вЂќ he said. вЂњWhen you try to understand who these people are вЂ“ and that often means calling their families, sometimes their friends, trying to get an idea of who they are as a person outside of the tragedy вЂ“ that is a very helpful thing to the folks who are left behind.вЂќДoucette added that this experience of sharing their loved oneвЂ™s story can be cathartic for those who are grieving. If thatвЂ™s as far as you go, itвЂ™s a little bit of a disservice. вЂњTheir identity gets trappedВ in what happened to them. вЂњA lot of times, with these types of deals, theyвЂ™re a name, a face, an age and where they are from,вЂќ he said. Rather than simply stating the facts of someoneвЂ™sВ life, the reporters worked to humanize each person through the stories of those who loved them, Doucette said. The OklahomanвЂ™s coverage of the 14 people killed in the bridge collapse was informed by previous tragedies in the state: the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the tornado. They probably just rolled right up on it and had no idea what was happening until it was too late.вЂќ Remembering the victims of I-40 bridge disaster вЂњThey couldnвЂ™t really see what was happening,вЂќ Doucette said. Remembering the scene, he thought about the drivers, especially those who came upon the bridge shortly after the collapse. Along with examining the damage, he spent days in Webbers Falls, interviewing officials and emergency responders.Дoucette described the scene as crowded and likely overwhelming with many first responders and journalists pouring into the town of less than a thousand people. The Oklahoman sent Doucette with a team of reporters to cover the aftermath of the tragedy. 'Very surreal, tragic time': ODOT spokeswoman remembers 2002 Webbers Falls bridge collapse The aftermath of Webbers Falls bridge collapse

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