Indiana Conservation investigators are looking into who - if anyone - should be responsible for the unmarked cable strung across the Maumee River under the Tecumseh Street bridge, which is being renovated. A city man died when his personal watercraft hit the cable Sunday.
Matthew D. Stocksdale, 37, was killed around 4:45 p.m. after driving his craft downstream into the cable. The Allen County Coroner's Office ruled that his death was caused by blunt-force trauma to the neck and was accidental.
The cable was in place to secure barges for crews working on the bridge above, Indiana Conservation public information officer John Salb said.
Whether the cable conformed with building and construction regulations is the question now.
“That's what we hope to find out through our investigations, if they should have had a permit or should have had markings on the bridge or in the bridge location,” said Salb. “I believe they're doing deck work, and the question might be if they're required to have permits and what those permits said.”
Leo-based Pioneer Associates Inc. was hired by the county to perform the $2.84 million project to repair and renovate the 97-year-old Tecumseh Street bridge.
County public information officer Mike Green said when the county awards a construction contract, the company doing the work assumes ownership of the property under construction from the start of the project until it's finished.
That company also assumes liability for incidents occurring on that property.
Pioneer released a brief statement expressing regret for the accident, saying the company's “heart goes out to the family, and our insurance company is investigating.”
“We released the statement, and outside of that I guess we're not really talking too much about it at this point until it unfolds a little more,” said Matt Jones, an estimator at Pioneer Associates.
Jones would not discuss whether the cable below the Tecumseh Street bridge was clearly marked, but did say marking cables in general is common practice, but not always followed.
“It's recommended in a lot of cases, but I would say most people don't,” said Jones.
Another Pioneer employee, who asked not to be identified, said it is common practice for flags to be placed on such cables. The employee also said sources told him flags were on the cable at the close of work Friday afternoon, but they were not placed there by anyone involved with Pioneer. The employee would not explain who placed them there.
By Sunday's accident, conservation officers say there were no flags, buoys or signs warning of the cable hazard under the bridge.
Salb said as rescue personnel left the scene Sunday, the cable was marked temporarily.
As to what caused the fatal accident, there are several possibilities.
Salb said Stocksdale was traveling nearly 40 mph when he struck the cable. That's not illegal, because Indiana has no speed limits in waterways, and Salb said conservation officers offer no speed suggestions for personal watercraft.
Generally, speed is up to the comfort of the driver.
What is not legal, however, is driving under the influence; and while toxicology tests on Stocksdale will not be available for at least 15 business days, Salb said responders found empty beer containers on the watercraft.
“What role those played, I don't know, because I don't know the time frame that they may have been (drunk),” said Salb, adding there also is no law prohibiting open containers on personal watercraft.
The 97-year-old Tecumseh Street bridge is being repaired and renovated at a cost of $2.85 million. Structural problems have turned a project that was planned to include only a new driving surface, new handrail balusters and arch ring fascia, new drainage in the bottom of arch rings and new ornamental lighting into one that now includes fixes to weakened arches and stonework in the span's structure.
The 301-foot bridge, built in 1913, handled about 3,000 vehicles a day.
Below it, though, is a different story.
Salb said personal watercraft aren't seen much near the end of October, when most owners are winterizing and storing them.
