Driver reveals miracle escape after he drove over the bridge just three minutes before colossal structure collapsed into the river

A driver had a miracle escape after he drove over the bridge just three minutes before the colossal structure collapsed into the river.  

Baltimore resident Jen Woof heard the shocking news that the Francis Scott Key Bridge near her home in Fort Armistead collapsed when her 20-year-old son Jayden woke her up to tell her he narrowly escaped the disaster.

Ms Woof's panicked son said that he just drove over the bridge, mere three minutes before it dramatically collapsed after container ship Dali hit it around 1.15am this morning. 

'He came into my house frantically panicking and yelling for me, and showing me a video of his friends that they took down here at Fort Armistead of the bridge collapse,' she told The Telegraph.

She added that he did not realise the bridge had collapsed until he received frantic message: 'He was actually almost to our house when his girlfriend started texting him to ask if he was okay. 

An aerial view of the Dali cargo vessel which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., March 26

The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of the container ship Dali after the bridge collapsed, Baltimore, Maryland

The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge lies in the water after it collapsed

Another aerial view of the collapsed bridge shows that the center parts have completely collapsed

'He thought she was texting because they were arguing, and she said the bridge had collapsed.'

The Dali was enroute from Baltimore to the Sri Lankan city of Colombo when it changed course and appeared to slow down before all the exterior lights turned off and smoke appeared. 

Shocking footage of its approach reveals how the vessel appeared to suddenly lose power before making a partial recovery. 

The ship was then seen billowing black smoke into the night sky before losing power again and abruptly pivoting towards one of the structural supports holding the bridge up.

Upon colliding with the 180ft-high structure, the ship appears to lose power a third time as the bridge collapses dramatically around it, first breaking around the support before breaking in the middle and losing balance on its eastern pillar.

Rescue workers are working furiously in an attempt to save the lives of dozens of people who were plunged into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River when the bridge collapsed. 

Initial reports indicate that at least a dozen cars hit the 47 degree water in addition to a 20 or so construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time. The workers were pouring concrete on to the bridge at the time of crash. 

At the first press conference around 6.30am, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace could only confirm that two people were pulled from the water. 

One was unhurt, the other had to be rushed to a local hospital with 'serious injuries'.

In the wake of the collapse, structural engineer and bridge designer Ian Firth told the BBC that it appears as the the ship 'strayed' rather to the side rather than going under the center of the bridge

Around 30,000 vehicles use the bridge, which is named for the writer of the Star Spangled Banner, every day. It opened in 1977

The vessel has been identified as Singapore-flagged Dali, which was enroute from Baltimore to the Sri Lankan city of Colombo when it collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge

The bridge spans 9,000 feet across the Patapsco River and is 180 feet above the water

The crew has remained on board the ship and are being questioned by members of the Coast Guard

Multiple boats marked as Coast Guard search and rescue vessels were surrounding the ship around 7am Eastern

Astonishing footage shows the moment the vessel plowed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, sending the colossal steel structure crashing into the Patapsco River, shortly before 1.30am Eastern

Wallace said that workers are looking for 'upwards of seven' people but that the number of missing could change as the collapse is a 'very large incident.' 

The chief called the efforts a 'search and rescue' operation. 

The rescue effort incorporates Coast Guard ships, local police boats, Baltimore's Fire Department, volunteer fire departments from the surrounding areas as well as teams of divers as the desperate search for survivors goes on. 

The effort is a race against time due to the tide which is coming back in as of 6.30am local time, Wallace said. 

Multiple boats marked as Coast Guard search and rescue vessels were surrounding the ship around 7am Eastern. 

The Coast Guard later said that 'multiple response units deployed for active search and rescue.'

Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, called the situation 'a dire emergency.' 

'Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,' Cartwright said. He said it's too early to know how many people were affected but called the collapse a 'developing mass casualty event.'

Cartwright said it appears there are 'some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge,' creating unsafe and unstable conditions, and that emergency responders are operating cautiously as a result.

Hypothermia can occur when a person's body temperature drops below 95 degrees.