[RCW2001]

Barge hits bridge on Arkansas River; cars in water

Sunday, May 26, 2002
©2002 Associated Press

URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/05/26/national1010EDT0453.DTL

(05-26) 07:10 PDT SALLISAW, Okla. (AP) --

A barge knocked out a 400-foot section of a bridge on Interstate 40 over the Arkansas River early Sunday, sending several cars plunging into the water, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, but the Sequoyah County Sheriff's Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said they were in a state of emergency.

Several cars were in the water, and dive teams were on the way to the scene, said Sam Graves, communications officer for the Highway Patrol.

©2002 Associated Press  

[RCW2001]

MSNBC reports as many as 9 cars in the water...

[NautiNurse]

Wow!! Recall the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was hit way back in 1980, knocking 1,250 feet of the bridge into Tampa Bay and killing 35 people. That was fog - looks like this is weather related too.

[okiecowgirl]

The barge driver had a blackout.