61-year-old Nancy Hyde Fox had reportedly been visiting her brother for his birthday and was headed to her home just a few miles away, when her vehicle was swept away by floodwaters during the washout.
According to KYTC spokesman Keith Todd, local farmers reported rainfall amounts of 3.8 to 4.2 inches of rain on Tuesday evening. One neighbor reported 4.2 inches in less than two hours near the washout, on ground already saturated by previous rains.
During the same downpour, two crashes were reported nearby on Interstate 24 where water ran across the roadway.
Neighbors recalled a similar washout in 1960 that closed Blackhawk Road for an extended period. That washout did not involve loss of life. At that time a larger culvert was placed at the site.
Todd said information provided by neighbors will help engineers move forward with repairs as quickly as possible.
KYTC engineers have temporarily placed rock across Blackhawk Road. In coming weeks engineers will evaluate the site for possible installation of a pre-fabricated arch culvert, construction of a concrete culvert, or one of another design.
