St. Ignace Mi. – All that was known by authorities was that on September 22, 1989, witnesses reported observing a north bound small blue car swerve out of control on top of the Mackinaw Bridge, veer into southbound traffic before it swerved back into its lane and collide head on with the railing. The vehicle then slid approximately 35 to 40 feet before the vehicle struck a vertical suspension cable and flipped over the side.

No one knew who or what had gone off the bridge in the 35 mile an hour wind.

The authorities immediately started an investigation but due to the water conditions the vehicle was not located until 4 days later when it was located 150 feet under the water sitting on a ledge. It was another 4 days later on the following Saturday that a dive team and equipment were able to retrieve the badly mangled car with the body of Royal Oak resident, Leslie Ann Pluhar, 31, still inside her 1987 Yugo.

Tom Hundley of the Chicago Tribune described the accident as follows, “Pluhar died in the most spectacularly frightening and awesome manner that any Michigander could imagine. Her car went out of control and swerved off the Mackinac Bridge, free-falling 170 feet into the chilly waters below.”

Pluhar was driving to St. Ignace to visit her boyfriend. The autopsy showed that alcohol was not a factor since she may have had only one drink two hours before. It was stated that she had been smoking and caffeine was in her system.

Grand Rapids Forensic Administrative Secretary Sue Atwood told the Detroit Free Press that the accident, “might not have been fatal if she had not been underwater.”

Dr. Stephan Cohle, who conducted the autopsy stated, “The cause of death was multiple injuries to the head, chest, and abdomen, and asphyxia by drowning.”

The accident reconstruction indicated that it took the car 5 to 6 seconds to drop the 142 feet before it slammed into the water. The car was so crumpled that police had difficulty on freeing the body from the wreckage.

According to https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43037002/leslie-ann-pluhar

Pluhar is buried at the White Chapel Memorial Cemetery in Troy.

According to Mike Fornes, author of “Mackinaw Bridge A 50-Year Chronicle” Pluhar’s vehicle was the first to go off and then Richard Alan Daraban intentionally drove his 1996 Ford Bronco off the bridge in 1997.   

Today there is assistance for drivers including a vehicle that will drive alongside a vehicle to help block the wind.