"The reason that this was done was because Gabriella Cedillo, an extra, was injured on set (while filming this exact scene). Bay needed the scene but they shut down filming in Indiana and Chicago after this happened, out of respect for Gabriella and her family...and they didn't use the footage from filming the scene (the special effects were so huge that it was a one-time deal).

Knowing that, I would say that it was a pretty smart way to put that scene together."