Negligent design can cause monetary damages to property and in worse cases, can cost lives. This was a sad story of a life needlessly lost due to a combination of failures.

During a heavy rainstorm, a driver attempted to drive down and through a flooded underpass. The driver severely underestimated the depth of the water, became trapped and ultimately lost their life.

In this case, my research and analysis revealed that the city incorrectly sized the sump pump that would be required to properly drain the underpass and failed to take proper action to warn or block access to the flooded underpass, resulting in a fatality.