Sewage Truck Mishap Causes Stinky Mess

INDIANAPOLIS -- Crews had quite a stinky mess on their hands Thursday morning after a dump truck hauling sewage sludge stopped quickly to avoid hitting a minivan at Mann and Mooresville roads, on the city's southwest side.

The truck did not have anything covering its load. The load shifted during the incident, rushing sewage over and into the van, which was carrying a family of four from Michigan, and onto the street at about 9:30 a.m.

"I'm worried. ... That's human feces, and it got on myself and my children," said Kimberly Shanklin. "I'm concerned. That could be a lifetime threat to us."

The truck was hauling sludge from the Southport water treatment plant to a landfill on Indianapolis' south side. The sludge is between 20 and 25 years old and contains some human waste, but officials said it shouldn't be harmful to the van's occupants.

Decatur Township crews were working to clean up the mess. No one was injured.