A mother pulled her vehicle over on the Interstate 94 bridge connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin during the Thursday morning rush hour, left her 11-year-old daughter behind and jumped to her death into the icy St. Croix River, authorities said.
The 48-year-old woman from Pierce County, Wis., stopped her vehicle about 8:30 a.m. on the shoulder of eastbound I-94, about 100 yards off the Wisconsin shoreline, climbed the railing and jumped, according to the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office.
Her body was recovered by law enforcement officers, who used an air boat.
Her identity was being withheld pending notification of family.
The girl was turned over to family members in Wisconsin.
Minnesota transportation officials say the bridge is 55 feet above the river at its highest point.
PAUL WALSH
