SEATTLE -- The car of an 18-year-old woman missing for more than three years was fished out from under the Mercer Island Floating Bridge on Lake Washington Monday with the remains of a body inside.
The victim was not immediately identified, but authorities said the 1978 blue Plymouth Arrow was the car driven by Stacy Sparks of Seattle when she was last seen leaving the Raintree Restaurant in Lynnwood July 9, 1979.
Officials speculated the car fell off the span in an accident.
A construction crew working under the bridge spotted the car about 9 a.m. The vehicle had not been seen earlier because it was hidden under a portion of the bridge, which was replaced during the Labor Day weekend.
At the time of her disappearance, family, friends and police feared foul play. Ms. Sparks left the restaurant, where she worked as a waitress, at 9:30 p.m. on her way to visit her boyfriend.
Ms. Sparks' stepfather, Michael Haley, quit his job as a truck driver to look for the young woman. He once estimated it cost him $15,000 to pursue the search.
