Vernal man killed in fall from bridge

VERNAL — A Vernal man fell more than 75 feet off a bridge to his death early Wednesday.

Daniel Roberto Cruz, 45, was sitting on a concrete barrier over the White River Bridge, 39 miles southeast of Vernal, talking to a friend about 2 a.m. Wednesday, according to a press release from the Uintah County Sheriff's Office. The friend looked away for a second, and when he looked back, Cruz was gone.

Officials say Cruz fell into the river bed. Investigators believed alcohol was a factor.

Cruz, originally from Texas, had been living in the Vernal area the past two years working for a local oil field company.

— Pat Reavy