Carol Easterling Wright, 79, dies in West Palm Beach, Florida

DailyKenn.com — Carol Easterling Wright, 79, died in West Palm Beach, FL.

A 43-year-old woman named Artissua Paulk was charged in her death.

The Incident

On February 6, 2022, at 1:04 p.m., police received a 911 call reporting that a woman had fallen from the Royal Park Bridge as it was opening. Emergency responders arrived at 1:12 p.m. to find 79-year-old Carol Wright in the bridge's concrete containment pit, having fallen 41 feet. Her bicycle was found in a machinery area a few feet above her.

Witnesses reported seeing Carol on the bridge as it began to open. She grabbed the railing and screamed for help. A bystander tried to assist but was unable to hold on to her, and Carol eventually fell into the opening created by the moving span of the bridge. The bridge tender, Paulk, was unaware of the incident and closed the bridge after Carol fell.

Investigation and Arrest

Paulk started her shift at 6:15 a.m. and was scheduled to work until 2:15 p.m. She stayed in the bridge tender tower and opened the bridge upon request from boat operators. She claimed to have checked the bridge multiple times before opening it. However, surveillance footage revealed inconsistencies in her account. Paulk had opened the bridge six times since her shift began but only logged four openings. She was also seen texting her supervisor, Kathy Harper, who advised her to lie about checking the bridge.

At 3:44 p.m., Paulk texted someone admitting she had killed a lady on the bridge. On March 17, 2022, she was arrested and charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence. Both Paulk and her supervisor lost their jobs, but only Paulk faced criminal charges. In July 2022, Carol Wright's family settled a lawsuit for $8.2 million, which included a requirement for new bridge tenders to watch a video about the impact of Carol's death.

Legal Outcome

In January 2023, Paulk pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to eight years of probation and 200 hours of community service. She expressed intentions to stay crime-free and rebuild her life. However, in April 2023, she was arrested again for violating her probation by failing a drug test and not paying court fines.

Analysis

Tisha Paulk had a troubled past, including arrests and job instability. On the day of the incident, she neglected her duty to ensure the bridge was clear before opening it. Despite knowing her actions led to Carol's death, she initially lied and blamed Carol. Paulk's subsequent probation violation demonstrated a continued disregard for responsibility.