Monica Rivera fell about 40 feet through an opening between bridge sections, and transportation officials are now reviewing possible safety changes.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A 24-year-old mother of two died after falling about 40 feet through a narrow gap between sections of the Seventh Street Trafficway Bridge, a death police have described as accidental and that has renewed questions about safety at the site.
Monica Rivera of Kansas City, Kansas, was found dead Oct. 23 beneath the bridge in an industrial area just north of Southwest Boulevard. Kansas City, Kansas, police said officers were called to the area at about 9:45 a.m. after a deceased person was reported. Detectives later connected the case to a missing-person report filed that afternoon in Johnson County. Preliminary autopsy findings showed no evidence of foul play.
Investigators said surveillance footage showed Rivera walking north along Seventh Street Trafficway early that morning after getting out of a vehicle. Police said she crossed traffic lanes and approached the median, where an opening about 30 inches wide separates portions of the bridge. Rivera fell through the space to the area below. Authorities said she was not being chased, and investigators found no preliminary evidence that another person caused her death.
Police said Rivera had been out with friends before the fall and may have been impaired. Investigators said she had gotten out of a vehicle after an argument with a friend and continued walking alone. Her family has said it accepts investigators’ conclusion that the death was an accident and has pushed back against unsupported speculation circulating online.
The bridge configuration has become a focus of attention because the northbound and southbound portions are separated by a space that may not be obvious from the roadway. Kansas City, Kansas, police have said people unfamiliar with the bridge may not realize there is no pavement between the two bridge surfaces. The Kansas Department of Transportation maintains the structure.
The safety concerns intensified after local authorities confirmed another person died after falling through the same area in 2023. KMBC reported that 34-year-old Johnny Brown died after falling nearly 40 feet through the bridge gap shortly after New Year’s that year. Brown’s mother, Esmeralda Madrigal, called for additional safety measures after learning about Rivera’s death, saying she fears another person could fall if nothing changes.
KDOT initially told KSHB that it had no plans to cover or otherwise alter the median opening. The agency later told KMBC that it is reviewing the bridge structure to determine whether modifications or additional safety features are warranted. KDOT said the northbound bridge includes a protected pedestrian facility with a barrier and fence. The agency has not announced what, if any, changes will be made.
Another local report said the bridge underwent a routine inspection in August 2026 and that a maintenance project involving joint repairs was completed earlier this year. Police have not said that a structural failure contributed to Rivera’s fall. The concern raised by relatives and community members centers instead on whether the opening is sufficiently visible to people attempting to move between the two roadway sections.
Rivera leaves behind two daughters, ages 3 and 5. Her relatives said they became concerned the morning she disappeared when the children did not attend school, which family members described as unusual. Jacqueline Gallo, the grandmother of Rivera’s daughters, said the family’s focus is now on protecting the children and giving them support as they grow up without their mother.
Rivera’s relatives have also asked for privacy as they grieve. Her mother, Emilia Rivera, told KSHB that the family believes her daughter was simply trying to reach the other side of the roadway and did not realize there was an opening between the bridge sections. Family members held a vigil following her death and have urged the public not to spread unsupported claims about what happened.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department has continued to treat Rivera’s death as an accidental fall, with preliminary findings showing no evidence of foul play. KDOT, meanwhile, is reviewing the bridge to determine whether added safety measures are warranted following the two fatal falls reported at the location.
Author note: Last updated November 3, 2026.