Area Legislators call for collapsed bridge to be renamed in honor of fallen officer

O’Connell, a 16-year State Patrol veteran, was directing traffic Friday evening on a detour around the collapsed bridge when he was struck by another vehicle.

The 40th legislative district delegation is requesting that the bridge be renamed the Trooper #1076, Sean M. O’Connell Memorial Bridge.

The legislators issued the statement below regarding their desire to rename the bridge in Officer O’Connell’s memory:

“Renaming the bridge in Officer O’Connell’s honor is just a small token of our gratitude for his 16 years of dedication to our state, but it doesn’t even begin to display the level of appreciation all Washingtonians have for his service or the heartache and compassion we feel for his family in the wake of his loss.”