Grate Gives Way in Baltimore City, Man Falls to Injury

Ever walk over a sidewalk grate and wonder how safe it is? I certainly have and a Baltimore man found out the hard way that it's a long way down.

Walking at the Southeast corner of Calvert and Saratoga steets in downtown Baltimore this morning, a sidewalk grate gave way under a pedestrian causing him to fall 12 to 15 feet.

Baltimore City Fire Department officials report that it took about a half hour to extricate the victim, who was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with neck and back injuries.

One wonders how often the grates are inspected and what risk they present to pedestrians?