Key Bridge collapse: Dali engineer's federal charges could be dismissed

Maggie Trovato, The Baltimore Sun on Jun 18, 2026

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BALTIMORE — The criminal case against the chief engineer of the cargo ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge could be dismissed three years from now under an agreement with the government, entered into federal record on Thursday.

Federal prosecutors allege that Karthikeyan Deenadayalan, chief engineer aboard the Dali, failed to immediately notify the U.S. Coast Guard about a hazardous condition on the vessel three days before the ship lost power and slammed into the bridge, triggering a catastrophic collapse that killed six construction workers.

The prosecution says the Indian national should have notified the Coast Guard that a “non-redundant” flushing pump was being used to provide fuel for generators instead of the redundant supply and booster pumps designed to do it.

The ship suffered two blackouts before slamming into the bridge on March 26, 2024.

Deenadayalan, who was present in court with his attorneys on Thursday, was charged Monday. The same day, prosecutors notified the federal judge assigned to the case that the government had entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the engineer. His attorneys did not make the man available to the media.

The agreement states that if Deenadayalan complies with certain conditions for the next three years, the government agrees to dismiss the criminal case. Under federal law, deferred prosecution agreements typically allow defendants to avoid a conviction if they comply with specified requirements during a probationary period.

Federal Judge James Bredar told Deenadayalan in court Thursday that the agreed-upon facts of the case detailed in the agreement could be used against him in court if he doesn’t comply with the conditions of the agreement.

The agreement, which outlines the conditions that the engineer must comply with, was not available in public records Thursday afternoon. The agreement is expected to become available to the public, however.

The other cases

The hearing comes as multiple civil and criminal investigations related to the bridge collapse continue more than two years after the disaster.

Last month, prosecutors unveiled an indictment against the companies that operate the Dali and the Dali’s technical superintendent. The trial for that case is scheduled for October 2027.

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