Story Archive

Who Will Demolish the Roads?

“The Cline Avenue bridge is marked with numerous barricades including orange barrels and cones, large wood signs stating ROAD CLOSED with orange striped markings,” said Patricia Van Til, speaking for the Lake County, Ind., Sheriff’s Department. But there is no Cline Avenue Bridge; in 2013, Indiana spent $9 million getting it demolished. And a sign and a concrete barrier had been moved — even though the signs and barriers are checked weekly, a state transportation department spokesman said. It seems Iftikhar Hussain’s GPS told him to drive over the bridge, and he obeyed, driving around the barriers. But, of course, there was no bridge, so the 64-year-old made a down turn at the end of the road and proceeded 37.5 feet while accelerating rapidly toward the earth. He was able to get out of the car, but it ignited and his wife, Zohra, 51, was burned to death. Hussain wasn’t the first to pass the barricades: Scott Green says he stopped within 4 feet of the edge after driving around the barriers. He had found the bridge on a map. (AC/Northwest Indiana Times) ...For $9 million, they couldn’t put up a reliable fence?