Memorial service to commemorate 50th anniversary of the fatal Siloam Bridge collapse

The 50th Anniversary of the fatal collapse of the Siloam Bridge over the Yadkin River will be observed during a service Sunday.

The bridge collapsed on a foggy night in February 1975 when a car struck one of its support beams. Four people died and more than a dozen were injured.

The bridge was a previously used structure that replaced a ferry crossing between Yadkin and Surry counties, says Jeff Hinshaw, chief of the Yadkin County Rescue Squad and one of the event organizers. 

He says the span was known to be a dangerous passage even before it gave way. And though the collapse made national news, Hinshaw says many in the area need to hear the story.

"We've been able to interview not only some of the survivors, but several of the responders to the bridge collapse that night," he says. "The first thing you'll notice is the emotion they have that has been boxed up for 50 years."

In addition to the first responders, Hinshaw says volunteers from both sides of the bridge helped with the rescue, although many had no experience dealing with emergencies.

"These were workers at R.J. Reynolds, workers at Western Electric, and none of them had ever been trained for anything like this," he says.

Among the survivors was 10-year-old Graham Atkinson, who would grow up to be Surry’s long-time sheriff. 

Atkinson’s grandfather died in the wreck. Family members later found a letter in his coat pocket. It was intended for state officials to let them know how dangerous the bridge had become. 

Officials dedicated a new bridge in November of 1976, known as the Atkinson-Needham Bridge, in honor of the victims.

The 50th anniversary memorial service of the Siloam Bridge collapse will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Friendship Baptist Church in East Bend.