Collapsed Bridge Was Overloaded

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jul 6, 2009 3:20PM

The bridge in a Merrillville, Indiana park that collapsed on July 4th, injuring 25, was overloaded to twice its capacity, according to an initial investigation. The collapse sent more than 50 people tumbling into the water below, though no one was seriously hurt. Ross Township Trustee John Rooda said, "There were far too many people on the bridge. It was overloaded. We had uniformed (Merrillville) police officers at both ends. We shoot for 20 people. It can handle up to 40. We're confident there were twice as many on the bridge." The park was closed yesterday for the investigation and is expected to reopen today. The bridge, of course, remains closed. [CBS 2, Fox 32]