ARTICLE (INCORRECTLY STATES BRIDGE UNLIT): WOMAN WHO DIED IN PARKWAY PLUNGED ID’d Jennifer Lee Hashimoto, 35, jumped over railing in Rancho Santa Margarita to avoid traffic and fell 75 feet. By JOHN McDONALD

The Orange County Register

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – The woman who fell 75 feet to her death when she stepped into a void between two traffic-lane bridges was identified today as Jennifer Lee Hashimoto, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department reported. Hashimoto, 35, fell from the Rancho Santa Margarita Parkway bridge over Trabuco Creek, just east of Alicia Parkway, at about 7 p.m. Sunday, said sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino. The victim had lived for about 30 days with a childhood friend in Rancho Santa Margarita and the two women had moved her belongings to her new home in Irvine earlier in the day. The two women discovered that some of Hashimoto’s clothes had apparently fallen out of the back of the truck they used for the move. The two retraced their route and Hashimoto discovered the clothing in the fast lane on the westbound side of Rancho Santa Margarita Parkway. They pulled their car to the side and walked back toward the clothing on the unlighted bridge. In the vicinity of the left-hand turn lane to Alicia Parkway, the pair met with heavy traffic. Hashimoto was in front of her friend and she jumped over the guardrail, apparently in the belief that there was a solid median between the two lanes of traffic, Amormino said. There is no median between the eastbound and westbound traffic-lane bridges, just a 75-foot drop to the canyon below. The roommate was unable to find her friend and called for help on her cellular phone.

To see a picture of the bridge go to: http://www.pegpower.com/journal/2005/11/07/

The above article said that the bridge was unlit. However, the bridge IS LIT! In fact it is so bright that it is an eyesore at night! The current lighting system consists of light bars placed on the insides of the railings. The lighting is designed to illuminate the bridge without spilling over into the surrounding wilderness area due to environmental concerns. The light is instead projected upwards and is very noticible from miles and miles away.

Submitted on 03/05/2006

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Orange County Register 11/7/05

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James said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
We have this story in the slush pile already, but the link with the picture is definitely something Darwin should see!

Sheryl said:
Neutral: For Darwin's Eyes
Has the bridge been lit *since* the accident or was it lit before?

Jorge said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award

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