Waste Truck Crash in Northern Indiana Shuts Down Highway: Bird Flu Concerns Rise

In a startling incident on Friday morning, emergency management teams were dispatched to handle a hazardous materials situation following an accident involving a waste management truck. The vehicle, which was transporting deceased ducks infected with bird flu, veered off the road and ended up in a ditch, according to official reports.

The accident occurred just after 8 a.m. on U.S. Route 33 in Churubusco, Northern Indiana, leading to the temporary closure of the highway in both directions. The Whitley County Emergency Management Agency swiftly issued a news alert to inform the public of the situation.

Authorities took immediate action by establishing a 100-foot safety perimeter around the crash site to ensure public safety. Fortunately, there is currently no indication of any risk to public health, as confirmed by the emergency agency.

Efforts to address the aftermath of the crash are underway, with Waste Management, Maple Leaf Farms, and the Indiana Board of Animal Health collaborating to mobilize a specialized cleanup team to manage the situation effectively.

The incident serves as a critical reminder of the complexities involved in handling potentially hazardous materials and the importance of swift coordinated responses in safeguarding public health and safety.

Smith Township Fire Department, Whitley Sheriff Department, Churubusco Police Department and Whitley County Emergency Management all responded to the incident.

“Avoid the area of 650 East and US 33 north of Churubusco due to an emergency scene,” the agency said Friday morning on social media.

A duckling getting a bird flu vaccination.  (Gaizka Iroz/AFP via Getty Images)

The dead ducks had been picked up at several Maple Leaf Farms in Northern Michigan, and they had all been diseased with bird flu.

The H5N1 Avian Flu outbreak has been ongoing in the U.S. for the last several years, and has left hundreds of millions of birds dead.

Ducks at a farm in New York.  (Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

The avian flu is highly contagious among birds and some mammals, but doesn’t transmit easily to humans.

“People rarely get bird flu, but when they do, it is most often after close, unprotected exposure (without wearing respiratory or eye protection) to birds or other animals infected with avian influenza A viruses,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website.

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