Oil Tanker Hits Bay Bridge In San Francisco

An oil tanker hit a portion of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge early this morning. At the time of this writing there have been no reports of injuries to crew members and no sightings of oil leakage into the surrounding waters.

The Overseas Reymar, a 750 foot long oil tanker, collided with the Bay Bridge at approximately 11:20 am on January 7. The Coast Guard reports that the tanker scraped a protective bumper on what is referred to as the “Echo Tower” portion of the bridge. The tower is located on the far east side of the bridge’s western span.

According to KTVU News, roughly an hour following the accident there had been no reports of injuries, bridge damage, or oil spillage. The San Francisco Bar Pilots Association verified that the Overseas Reymar was not carrying fuel when the incident occurred.

The Coast Guard is currently detaining the oil tanker and plans to transport the vessel to Treasure Island for closer inspection. Following the dispatch of a fireboat to the Bay Bridge collision site, San Francisco officials reported visible damage to the tanker’s starboard side.

An article by the San Francisco Chronicle writes that the Overseas Reymar was constructed in 2004 and is based out of Majuro, located in the Marshall Islands. Measuring 751 feet by 105 feet in size, the ship can achieve a maximum speed of 14 knots, or approximately 16 miles per hour. It is currently owned OSG Ship Management.

Authorities continue to investigate but have not yet concluded what exactly caused the oil tanker to hit the Bay Bridge in San Francisco.