Driver, 81, dies after accident on bridge

MARION - An elderly woman has died after a head-on collision on a bridge Wednesday afternoon in Marion.

Authorities said a car and a sport-utility vehicle collided around 3:30 p.m. along Alburnett Road above Indian Creek. Witnesses told police the car driver crossed the centerline on the bridge for no apparent reason. The driver of the SUV, 33-year-old Toni Jobe of Toddville, swerved but could not avoid the crash.

The driver of the car, 81-year-old Ione Wright, was taken to St. Luke's Hospital, where she died, police said.

Sgt. Lance Miller said the woman may have had a medical issue that caused her to lose control. Autopsy results may provide an answer but likely won't be finalized for at least a couple weeks, he said.

“We have a number of witnesses who have provided us information that makes us wonder,” Miller said.

Jobe was taken to Mercy Medical Center. Her injuries were not life-threatening, police said.

The investigation continues.

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