Court Case After Bridge Crash

May 13, 2026, 10:51
InternationalPolitics

Introduction

The US government and Maryland are taking legal action against the people who ran the ship Dali. This ship hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Main Body

On March 26, 2024, the ship Dali lost power. It could not steer and hit the bridge. Six people died. The government says the ship had a bad fuel pump. This pump broke the law. The companies lied about the ship's safety. They gave false papers to the government. They wanted to save money. Now, the companies may pay a lot of money because of these lies. Maryland made a deal with the ship owners. The owners will pay $2.25 billion. However, Maryland is still fighting the company that built the ship. The builder made a mistake with the power.

Conclusion

The state got money from the owners. Now, a federal court will decide if the operators are criminals.

Learning

💡 The 'Past' Secret

Look at how we talk about things that already happened. We mostly add -ed to the word.

Examples from the story:

  • lost →\rightarrow (Special word!)
  • died →\rightarrow (Special word!)
  • hit →\rightarrow (Stays the same!)
  • lied ←\leftarrow lie + ed
  • wanted ←\leftarrow want + ed

🛠ī¸ Word Power: 'Action' words

To reach A2, you need these simple words to describe a problem:

  1. Hit (to touch something hard) →\rightarrow The ship hit the bridge.
  2. Broke (to stop working/damage) →\rightarrow The pump broke.
  3. Pay (to give money) →\rightarrow The owners will pay.

⚠ī¸ Watch Out!

False ≠\neq True If something is false, it is a lie. The companies gave false papers. They did not tell the truth.

Vocabulary Learning

government (n.)
the group of people who run a country
Example:The government will help fix the bridge.
bridge (n.)
a structure that lets people cross a river or road
Example:The bridge is made of steel.
ship (n.)
a large boat that travels on water
Example:The ship sailed across the ocean.
power (n.)
energy that makes machines work
Example:The power of the engine is strong.
money (n.)
paper or coins used to buy things
Example:She saved money for her trip.
law (n.)
a rule that people must follow
Example:The law says you must wear a seatbelt.
companies (n.)
businesses that sell goods or services
Example:Companies make cars.
deal (n.)
an agreement between two parties
Example:They made a deal to share the profits.
state (n.)
a part of a country or a government
Example:The state has many parks.
court (n.)
a place where judges decide legal cases
Example:The court heard the case.
decide (v.)
to choose or determine something
Example:They will decide tomorrow.
lost (v.)
no longer have or control something
Example:He lost his keys.
hit (v.)
to strike or collide with something
Example:The ball hit the window.
died (v.)
no longer alive
Example:The old tree died.
bad (adj.)
not good or harmful
Example:The weather is bad today.
fuel (n.)
material that powers engines
Example:The car needs fuel.
pump (n.)
a device that moves liquid
Example:The water pump works.
safety (n.)
protection from danger
Example:Safety is important.
false (adj.)
not true or real
Example:The statement was false.
papers (n.)
documents or written reports
Example:He read the papers.
save (v.)
to keep from losing or spending
Example:She will save money.
mistake (n.)
an error or wrong action
Example:That was a big mistake.
built (adj.)
made or constructed
Example:The house was built in 2000.
operators (n.)
people who run machines
Example:Operators run the machines.
criminals (n.)
people who break the law
Example:Criminals break the law.
legal (adj.)
related to the law
Example:Legal documents are required.
action (n.)
something done or performed
Example:The action was fast.
people (n.)
human beings
Example:People like to travel.
ran (v.)
moved quickly on foot
Example:He ran to catch the bus.
federal (adj.)
relating to the national government
Example:The federal government is nationwide.
billion (n.)
a very large number, 1,000,000,000
Example:The company earned a billion dollars.
six (adj.)
number six
Example:She has six cats.
march (n.)
a month of the year
Example:March is a cold month.