Monica Rivera’s relatives say investigators found no evidence of foul play as attention turns to a gap between the bridge’s roadways.
KANSAS CITY, KS — The family of 24-year-old Monica Rivera is speaking publicly after police said the mother of two died in an accidental fall through a gap between sections of the 7th Street Trafficway Bridge in Kansas City, Kansas.
Rivera was last seen early Oct. 23 walking north along 7th Street Trafficway near Southwest Boulevard. Officers were sent to an industrial area beneath the bridge at about 9:45 a.m. after a deceased person was reported there. Detectives later connected the unidentified woman to a missing-person report filed that afternoon in Johnson County and identified her as Rivera. Preliminary autopsy findings showed no evidence of foul play, according to Kansas City, Kansas, police.
Rivera’s adoptive mother, Emilia Rivera, and Jacqueline Gallo, the grandmother of Rivera’s two young daughters, said they have spoken with investigators and believe the death was a tragic accident. Emilia Rivera told FOX4 that she had been in contact with a homicide detective and the coroner and had been assured there was no evidence someone else caused her daughter’s death. The family said it wanted to address speculation that had circulated online after Rivera was found.
Police said Rivera apparently tried to cross between the bridge’s northbound and southbound roadway sections. The concrete barriers can make the two sides appear to be part of a continuous surface, but there is an open space between them with no pavement below. Investigators believe Rivera crossed a barrier without realizing the gap was there and fell to Division Street below. Other local reporting placed the fall at about 40 feet.
Kansas City, Kansas, police spokesperson Nancy Chartrand has described the bridge configuration as difficult to recognize, even for people familiar with the roadway. Detective Mark Bundy similarly told FOX4 that motorists and pedestrians may not realize the northbound and southbound lanes sit on separate bridge surfaces. Police have urged pedestrians in the area to be aware that there is no walking surface between the two sections.
The bridge has drawn additional scrutiny because Rivera was not the first person known to have died after falling through the space. Police confirmed that John Lee Brown died in a similar fall on Jan. 2, 2023. Following Rivera’s death, a petition began circulating calling for changes intended to prevent another fall.
The Kansas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining the bridge. KDOT told FOX4 that the structure underwent routine inspection in August 2026 and that a maintenance project involving joint repairs had been completed earlier in the year. The agency said it was aware of Rivera’s death but had not been involved in the police investigation. KSHB 41 later reported that KDOT said it had no current plans to modify the median gap.
For Rivera’s family, the immediate focus is on her daughters, Aryana, 5, and Ilah, 3. Gallo said the children are still trying to understand why their mother is no longer with them. She and Emilia Rivera said the family intends to make sure the girls grow up knowing how much their mother loved them. Gallo remembered Rivera as outgoing and said she stood out in a crowd, while Emilia Rivera described her daughter as someone who loved deeply.
The family also said public speculation about Rivera’s death has added to an already difficult period. Relatives have asked for privacy as they care for the children and grieve. A fundraiser has been established to help support Rivera’s daughters, while separate efforts have focused on whether changes should be made to the bridge.
Police have continued to describe the death as accidental, with preliminary findings showing no evidence of foul play. The bridge remains under KDOT maintenance, and no confirmed plan to close or cover the gap had been announced as of the latest reports.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.