Indiana Bridge Collapse: 6 Dead After Storms Wash Away Franklin County Bridge
A bridge collapsed Friday morning killing six people in Franklin County, Indiana. Police responded to the incident at approximately 5 a.m. after overnight storms caused the rural bridge to collapse. A witness called authorities after hearing cries for help.
The incident caused a van carrying four and a truck carrying two to get swept away, killing all of them. Four bodies were recovered quickly, and authorities spent the rest of the day searching for others. Another body was found by 3 p.m. on Friday after which the search was suspended at sundown. The final body was found on Saturday morning after activity resumed.
Five killed and one more missing in Indiana bridge collapse as storm stretching 1,000 miles from Texas to Ohio batters the #US with torrential rain, tornadoes and blizzards
— Hans Solo (@thandojo) March 21, 2020
There were blizzards in Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming while Kansas and Ohio experienced flooding pic.twitter.com/M29e9rAMyQ
The identities of the deceased have not been released by police. The four victims that were inside the van were reportedly a family.
“The water is deceiving,” Police Captain Jet Quillen said. “The force of that moving water is deceiving so obviously at this point it was strong enough to wash away that bridge which caused a serious traffic hazard”
The bridge and the water beneath were reportedly poorly lit at the time of the collapse, making it difficult for drivers to assess the stability of the bridge.
The incident occurred in the small town of Laurel, Indiana, which has an estimated population of under 500 and is roughly 56 miles northwest of Cincinnati. Franklin County is located in eastern Indiana on the state’s border with Ohio.
![crime scene](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/2754434/crime-scene.jpg?w=736&f=3c827740c34cbde4c147704a08c643b3)
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