After a heavy night of rain, Logan, IA, Rural Carrier Candace Marcum noticed signs of storm damage along her route the next day. As she passed by a particular bridge supporting a set of train tracks, she noticed the banks below it had disintegrated from the storm. While the bridge itself was still intact, it was a situation Marcum wanted to keep an eye on just in case.
When she finished her route, she returned to the location of the bridge and verified that her instincts were correct. The bridge collapsed as a result of the erosion. Marcum wasted no time in calling the local Sherriff’s office to report the occurrence. Shortly after her call, the office relayed the information to the railroad station.
A train 40 minutes away from the time of her call was scheduled to cross the bridge. If not for Marcum’s warning that the bridge was out, the train would have been unable to stop in time to avoid the washed-out bridge. Assistant Chief Engineer of Structures for the railroad Jeffrey Mancuso credited Marcum for saving the two lives aboard the train. Postmaster Ronda Schaben wasn’t surprised by Marcum’s conscientious actions.
“Candy is very involved in the community that she serves and pays attention to her customers and details along the way,” said Schaben.
Source: Train Narrowly Avoids Collapsed Bridge | Your Postal Blog