EVANSVILLE, Ind — A missing Evansville man was found dead Friday still inside his crashed car that had been out of sight under a bridge for more than a month.
Family members reported 47-year-old Brian Colbert of Evansville missing on Dec. 10, 2022. An Evansville Police Department investigation into his disappearance was turned over to Indiana State Police because Colbert was last seen in nearby Princeton.
State police said Colbert worked at Toyota Boshoku in Princeton. He was last seen at a coworker’s home in Princeton on Dec. 9 and he was driving his maroon 2017 Toyota Avalon.
The search for Colbert continued until Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, when an ISP detective found Colbert's car under a bridge with a man matching Colbert's description inside. The Gibson County Coroner's Office identified Colbert on Saturday and is conducting an autopsy. The results are still pending.
Det. Toni Walden was searching along Old U.S. 41 south of County Road 150 South when she found the car.
Investigators believe Colbert was driving at night on Dec. 9 when he drove left of center and went off the east side of the road on Old U.S. 41.
His car dropped into a deep ravine, overturned and entered Pigeon Creek near the bridge.
Detectives said anyone driving on Old U.S. 41 wouldn't have been able to see the car. They also believe that when the creek level increased due to recent rainfall, the car moved under the bridge, making it even more difficult to spot.
