UPDATE: The Marion County Coroner's Office has identified the two people killed as Charles Hunt, 73, and Iristeen Hunt, 70, both of University Park, Ill. The cause of death is multiple blunt force injuries. The deaths have been ruled accidental.
INDIANAPOLIS — Investigators are trying to figure out why an SUV drove off the fourth floor of a downtown parking garage, falling to the ground and killing a man and woman inside.
The 2013 black Lincoln MKX with an Illinois license plate fell and landed on its roof in an alley behind the City Market shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Investigators are trying to identify the man and woman who died, and they're asking for anyone with information on their identities to come forward.
The SUV could be seen upside down in the alley with a large slab of concrete on the ground, which was part of the garage barrier on the fourth floor.
Police are handling the case as a death investigation, and they said it could be days before facts are learned about what caused the vehicle to go through the barrier and end up in the alley.
A witness said the area was busy at the time and described a chaotic scene.
"What I was trying to do was get everyone back," Micah Harshaw said. "There was a lot of pandemonium. Everyone was trying to rubberneck, see what was going on, but I was trying to get everybody back. Get them away from what might potentially happen."
City leaders said they don't believe the garage will have to be demolished. They said the property manager and engineers were out inspecting it Wednesday afternoon.
While it is still unclear what the cause of the crash is, we asked the city if regular inspections are done at parking garages. A spokesperson said they are not. They said the inspections happen during construction to make sure new buildings are up to code.
Denison Parking, which operates the garage, released a statement saying it is deeply saddened by the loss of life and it cannot comment while the investigation is ongoing.
