TODAY'S UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE REPORT.

It's not cheerful.  "We can confirm our Boilermaker Special was involved in a serious multi-vehicle accident in Tippecanoe County on April 24. The two students who were on the Special have been treated and released from the hospital. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the incident."

Purdue University's "Boilermaker Special" is a self-propelled float.  Think good-sized truck with a mockup of a steam locomotive above the chassis.  Something went wrong as the float was in transit, with deadly consequences.

The Boilermaker Special vehicle was traveling north on the highway when it had a "possible tire malfunction" that caused it to cross the median, colliding with a passenger car traveling south, according to the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office.

The driver of the passenger vehicle died, the sheriff's office said. The person's identity has not yet been released pending family notification, authorities said. No one else was in the vehicle.

Two Purdue students -- the 20-year-old driver of the Boilermaker Special and a 22-year-old passenger -- were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

We extend our condolences to the family of the driver, and wish the students on the float a full recovery and nights free of nightmares.