An outdated GPS may have caused a man to drive off a condemned Indiana bridge on Saturday morning and plunge nearly 40 feet onto the ground below, killing his wife.
Chicago natives Iftikhar Hussain, 64, and his 51-year-old wife Zohra are believed to have been on their way to visit family in Indiana's East Chicago when Hussain drove off an elevated section of highway leading to the demolished Cline Avenue Bridge, which was closed in 2009, The Times of Munster reported.
The couple's Nissan plunged 37 feet and crashed into the ground. Hussain was able to make it out of the car but his wife did not escape before the vehicle burst into flames. Zohra Hussain was pronounced dead at the scene.
Lake County police believe the Chicago couple was unfamiliar with the area and that Iftikhar Hussain was likely following his antiquated GPS instead of paying attention to the road.
"The Cline Avenue bridge is marked with numerous barricades including orange barrels and cones, large wood signs stating Road Closed with orange striped markings," Patricia Van Til, spokeswoman for the Lake County Sheriff's Department, told The Times of Munster.
"There are concrete barricades across the road to further indicate the road is closed."
Hussain is recovering from his injuries at an Indiana hospital.
The Cline Avenue Bridge was used for decades to transport heavy steel coil from Indiana Harbor steel mills until it was closed in 2009. It was the scene of another tragedy in 1982 when it collapsed during construction and killed 14 workers, according to the newspaper.
The Indiana Department of Transportation condemned the bridge in 2010. A privately-funded toll bridge was rumored to be in the works but no plans were ever finalized.
Construction for a new bridge over the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal is expected to begin in the coming months.
