FedEx truck seen dangling off overpass amid treacherous conditions

Monica Danielle
·2 min read

A FedEx truck came to rest over train tracks after its trailer toppled over an Indiana Toll Road bridge on Interstate 80/90, at Currant Road, on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Mishawaka, just east of South Bend. Near-zero temperatures and icy roads caused multiple accidents in the area on Wednesday morning.

Bitterly cold air led to icy roads that are said to be the cause of a FedEx semitrailer sliding right off an overpass along the Indiana Toll Road on Wednesday morning in Mishawaka, Indiana, about 5 miles east of South Bend. The truck was seen hanging down toward the railroad tracks below the bridge.

According to Indiana State Police Sgt. Ted Bohner, shortly before 9 a.m., a car driving east in front of the truck lost its traction and began skidding, causing the semitrailer driver to swerve in response. The trailer went slipping over the edge of the interstate and nearly fell onto a set of railroad tracks below. The driver wasn't hurt, and no other vehicles were involved in the wreck.

However, the accident created a dramatic spectacle and backed up traffic for several hours until the road crews could clear the scene.

Temperatures in the region reached a high of 10 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday with the low temperature bottoming out at a bone-chilling 1 degree below zero.

This image, posted to Twitter by Sgt. Ted Bohner of the Indiana State Police, shows a FedEx semi dangling over an Indiana Toll Road bridge on Interstate 80/90 at Currant Road on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, in Mishawaka, Indiana. ( Indiana State Police / Sgt. Ted Bohner)

"The problem this morning has been icy bridge decks, and there was several slide-offs and crashes near the 83-84 mile marker," Bohner told the South Bend Tribune. "The truck was going eastbound and slid on the slick bridge deck and went over the edge there."

Bohner posted images on Twitter showing vehicles that had slid off the road, including the FedEx semi, and warned drivers to slow down because bridges throughout the area were very slick.

Getting the big rig off the overpass required at least three tow trucks, took all morning and caused significant delays. Currant Road was closed but has since been reopened.

Police also responded to a separate crash in which a van slid off the toll road near Cleveland and into some bushes below the highway.

This image, posted to Twitter by Sgt. Ted Bohner of the Indiana State Police, shows a van that slid off Indiana Toll Road on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. ( Indiana State Police / Sgt. Ted Bohner)

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