Official: Barricade Moved Before Car Plunged Off Bridge

Iftikhar Hussain drove off the bridge on Saturday, plunging 37 feet below

At least one of the concrete barriers that span the roadway of a Northwest Indiana bridge was moved, allowing a Chicago-area man and his wife to drive the structure on Saturday, an official told The Times of Northwest Indiana.

In a report published late Tuesday, Indiana Department of Transportation spokesman Matt Deitchley said he wasn't sure when the barrier on the Cline Avenue Bridge was moved, and whether it was moved by hand or by a vehicle, but said everything was in its place when the area was checked recently.

Deitchley couldn't exactly say when that last check occurred but said crews check "at least weekly" to ensure things are properly positioned.

Zohra Hussain, 51, of Chicago died of burns after the car caught fire following the 37-foot plunge Saturday morning onto property owned by BP. Her 64-year-old husband, Iftikhar Hussain, survived.

Investigators said Iftikhar Hussain may have been following instructions from his GPS device when the car plummeted off the road.

The Times of Northwest Indiana also reported that a driver from Wilmette nearly drove off the same roadway about a month ago.

Construction of a new bridge over the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal is scheduled to begin this spring.

Contact Us