Archived WTVT coverage: Sunshine Skyway Bridge tragedy

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is an icon of the Tampa Bay area, but many new arrivals to Florida may be unaware of the tragedy that befell the span s predecessor. It was on May 9, 1980 when the unthinkable happened: the freighter MV Summit Venture collided with a support column during a blinding thunderstorm, knocking a 1, 200foot section of the roadway into the water below. Six cars, a truck, and a bus plunged 150 feet into Tampa Bay, killing 35 people.