MINNEAPOLIS -- A family from Houston was driving on a bridge that collapsed during rush hour in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Houston's KPRC reported.

Dennis Winegar was driving across the Mississippi River on Interstate 35W with his family, stuck in the late rush-hour traffic.

"We had just left the Mall of America and were heading north through Minneapolis," he said. "We just got off I-94 heading north on 35 and were approaching the bridge. As we approached the top, I saw some dust and I heard a lot of noise."

Winegar's wife, Jamie, said she suddenly started hearing "boom, boom, boom, and we were just dropping, dropping, dropping, dropping."

She said her nephew yelled, "'It's an earthquake!' and then we realized the bridge was collapsing."

The Winegars' daughter and another relative were also inside the car.

"Basically, there were only three or four cars left in front of me, and then all of a sudden our car started falling down," Dennis Winegar said.

He fought to keep their rented Chrysler 300M under control.

"We hit the pavement once and it collapsed a second time and a third time," Dennis Winegar said. "My car actually turned on its nose, the grill hit the pavement a couple of times and we stopped."

He estimated they dropped about 50 feet. He said he was thankful that his car was not one of the ones that ended up in the river.

"I'd say we were probably still 100 to 150 feet from the water," he said. "Our car ended up on the last section on the south bank of the Mississippi River, just before the water."

Jamie Winegar said everyone around them got out of their cars and tried to help others off the bridge. "There were a bunch of people right around there helping everyone. Angels is what I call them," she said.

The Winegars said they collected contact numbers so they can call and personally thank those who helped them to safety.

The family was in Minneapolis to visit relatives and for a follow-up appointment for a kidney transplant Dennis Winegar received three years ago. Jamie Winegar was the donor.

No one in the car suffered serious physical injuries.

The family continued with their travel plans to New Orleans.

"It's scary. Knowing that someone you care about, right next door, could have been hurt," neighbor James Blanco said.

"Life is so fragile. One never knows when your number is up. And their number wasn't up," neighbor Colleen Blanco said.