Posted on 05/14/2016 11:51:32 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
(CBS) — A Chicago man is suing the state of Indiana and its road building contractors blaming them for a fiery accident on the Cline Avenue Bridge that killed his wife 14 months ago.
It was March of last year when Iftikhar Hussain and his wife were driving from Chicago to West Lafayette, Indiana.
Hussain’s attorney Timothy Schafer says the couple took the Indiana Toll Road and then the Cline Avenue exit, following the GPS in their Nissan Sentra.
Schafer says even though the road was closed because the bridge ahead was demolished, the barricades had been removed and the couple drove on and then off the end.
“He couldn’t get her out of the car,” Schafer said. “That’s how he burned his hands, arms and head – trying to get his wife out of the car, but the doors were jammed from having dropped 40 feet to the ground. He broke out his window but he couldn’t get her out.”
She was killed and he was seriously hurt.
Attorney Schafer says they will likely ask for damages of at least $30 million.
A spokesman for the Indiana Department of Transportation says in an email: “We are aware of the complaint and are reviewing it at this time. INDOT does not generally comment on pending litigation so we do not have anything to say at this time.”
Sounds like he should be suing himself.
The FR thread on the original incident: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3276110/posts?page=1
“Death by GPS/dash nav”: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2011/02/04/death-gps-rise.html
Google street view of the road closure: https://goo.gl/maps/FBJDwtmMkbD2
This is stupid beyond belief. There were no barricades?
I see there are signs and barrels, but this imagery is from August 2015, after the accident. I wonder what it looked like at the time? If they had to drive around barriers and such then it’s on them, but it wouldn’t surprise me if somehow they were gone.
Kinda confusing...I assume Eastbound on Cline due to them falling on BP property...my 1st Google street view was Eastbound. There were concrete barriers at both ends after the “Road Closed” signs, cones, etc., but one may have been moved on the night in question? http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/official-cline-avenue-barricades-were-moved-before-fatal-crash/article_e69bc918-3e96-5094-aa57-e7a81c0d3e27.html
Sat. shots of concrete barriers:
https://goo.gl/maps/SEZpjyHxbCA2
https://goo.gl/maps/scJ7ns99oSn
Concrete barriers? BP refinery nearby? Mohammedan?
Yep, sounds like a terrorist to me. Driving around concrete barriers is a requirement for them to get drivers license.
> Sounds like he should be suing himself.
Wonder what time the accident occurred. If it was at night I could see that happening. During the day, no. It’s very unusual for signage and barricades to not be present on a bridge that’s under construction. More info needed.
> Sounds like he should be suing himself.
Wonder what time the accident occurred. If it was at night I could see that happening. During the day, no. It’s very unusual for signage and barricades to not be present on a bridge that’s under construction. More info needed. Cell phone contents needed for sure.
It’s the perfect crime. The husband set the whole thing up.
Barriers block the long-gone bridge, but Hussain drove around them.
"The Cline Avenue bridge is marked with numerous barricades including orange barrels and cones, large wood signs stating ROAD CLOSED with orange striped markings," Lake County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Patricia Van Til said. "There are concrete barricades across the road to further indicate the road is closed."
Good luck with that lawsuit.
The lawyer doesn’t want to win. The lawyer wants an out of court settlement
nothing ventured, nothing extorted
I read that it was daytime.
disagree, if the barricades were removed.
The article says the barricades were removed. I’d sue their pants off.
” the barricades had been removed and the couple drove on and then off the end. “
If the barriers were gone, wouldn’t there be other drivers going that way? I think that is a well traveled area, surely they could find someone else who drove into the restricted area. If not, Indiana cannot be responsible for a suicide accident.
If they were taking the Toll road from Chicago to West Lafayette, I don’t understand why they got off at Cline Avenue, even if it was open. The only route that makes sense is to stay on the Toll road until I-65, which goes directly to West Lafayette. I suppose you could get there by heading south on Cline, but that would be a slow and roundabout way. A GPS will sometimes give stupid directions. That’s why you go into a trip with a general knowledge of where you are going, so you can ignore directions that take you a different way than you want to go.
There is a bridge replacement project I’ve worked on, and you’d be surprised by the sheer number of dumbasses who ignore the multiple day glo orange reflective signs stating “Road is closed/ bridge out 1 mile”, followed by the signs saying “Road closed 1000ft”, then “Road closed 500ft”, ending at the big signs with 18 inch tall letters spelling out “ROAD CLOSED”. Then they get mad because they have to turn around and go back.
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