The driver should be made to pay for the Full Cost of Repair to the bridge on top of the Traffic Fines & Court Fees. Plus having their CDL suspended or revoked.
@@51-FSinsurance is not very reassuring anymore. Now a days they use every trick in the book to get out of paying anything. A claims adjuster would probably agree to pay for a blue tarp.
@dannyl2598 I haven't had any issues with a claim. I had a lady bump me at a light. She hit my receiver hitch.i got 1400 bucks. They didn't want to give me anything at first. I just said ok, well just give me paper work saying that if anything happens when I'm towing somthing u will take responsibility. Next day I got a check to replace my hitch and to send truck to frame shop... u just got to know how to play theor game
Reminds me of the gal that wrecked the bridge in Paoli Indiana a few years ago said she was following her gps to Walmart and drove her semi onto the bridge marked 6 ton max because she didn’t know how much a ton was and figured she was under that. The huge no truck signs apparently failed to register in her brain. Sadly these people still get to vote!!
@@mrpete222, can we just leave politics out of it? Please? Your statement is not necessary. So sad that political anger has to creep into everything. It severely lessens your credibility.
Rant on Sir . In my short time of 51 yrs here I have come to the conclusion that most people given an inch will inherently take a foot or all 13.6 and it only seems to be getting worse Ps keep up the good you
Thank you for covering this. I work for IDOT District 3 bridge crew, I was on scene within a half hour. The lady who was driving the truck was from Texas, figured she was going around 55 when she hit it. I’m not law enforcement but I do know there were no tickets issued. 🤦🏻though there is a lot of damage we have not found any damage that would keep the bridge from reopening. All the wood and the original sign are safety stored at our shop, we hope to get working on it in spring.
Thank you very much, I appreciate a comment from an insider. Hopefully it will get restored to its original condition before the accident. Why didn’t she get a ticket?
@@mrpete222 the way the officers explained it to me was if she got a ticket and fought it and somehow won, she would not be responsible for it. But if they issue a written warning there would be no way to fight it and the company would automatically be responsible for damages. I don’t understand it, but the company is going to pay for the reconstruction. It’s unfortunate how much won’t be original 😢 but we are going to try our best to try to salvage what we can, the community has been real supportive of our effort.
Over height and speeding (no doubt) plus overweight possibly, it's shocking that some drivers are so unawares of their responsibilities on the road. Given the damage, I would suspend her license for a year. I am particularly fond of Howes truss bridges and gratefull the main structure is intact. There are not many surviving examples left so, if the damage is repairable a sigh of relief is in order. It could have been much worse.
MrPete, Do not apologize. Your rant is shared by many! I'm very closely involved in work with many who claim they are truck drivers. They have no clue what a real truck driver is! Can't drive without automatic transmission, has to have AC, asks if wearing flip flops and shorts is ok, no idea how to adjust brakes and the list goes on and on. Following signs as basic as it is for us...that's way beyond their capabilities!
@r.m.3020: I'm a heavy truck mechanic from Pennsylvania. Believe me when I say you " do not " want truck drivers adjusting their own brakes, they can barely comprehend how to do a proper pre/post trip inspection of their vehicle let alone make adjustments or repairs to it. In most states you are now required to be certified that you know how to adjust/ repair braking systems. I was grandfathered in since I could prove I had the required skills due to being a professional heavy truck mechanic for 27 years. Most current truckers are absolutely stupid and cannot even fill out the D.O.T. paperwork correctly and 90% of the drivers at the trucking company I work for cannot even drive a manual equipped passenger car let alone a manual in a heavy truck. Except for our drop-deck lowbeds all of of trucks are automatic. I'd be embarrassed to call myself a man if I couldn't drive a stick shift!!!
Your video reminded me of a similar story I read about a few years back. A covered bridge in Long Grove Illinois had just reopened after it was damaged by a box truck that tried to go through it. Less then 24 hours after the bridge reopening ceremony, a school bus tried to go through it and damaged it again. It is just a shame that people doing stupid things ruin it for everyone else.
@@mrpete222 I am a school bus driver and I concur. I've been driving school bus for over 17 years and some of the people we have hired shouldn't be allowed to drive bicycle let alone a school bus. It shocks me to see some of the things they do. If your a good driver and like kids, think about driving a school bus, we desperately need GOOD drivers. MJ
The driver had to have a commercial license, He should have it revoked and fined the total cost of repair. A not be allowed to drive commercial vehicle again. That is totally stupid, that bridge was well post for height. and clearly driver error. Thanks Mr Pete keep up the good work.
I sympathise with you at the loss of your history. Along the same vein; here in Bolton, northwest of Manchester, UK, some 25 years ago, an old railway bridge was demolished. The bridge was an elliptical arch, brick built structure that supported what was the ‘Bolton to Leigh Railway’. The line had long since vanished in the 1960s and few other remnants exist. Why was I upset? The ‘Bolton to Leigh Railway’ was designed and constructed by George Stephenson round about 1830 and opened just before the world renown ‘Manchester to Liverpool Railway’. (Delayed because of construction across Chat moss, very boggy land.) Thousands came to view the opening when Mr. Stephenson and his wife came to the ceremony. The line carried mainly coal at first, with some passenger waggons. It was demolished, without objection by the town council, to widen a lorry park, after some 170 years being left alone. I empathise with your anguish at the permanent loss of historic constructions. They can NEVER be recreated. 👍🇬🇧👍🇺🇸👍
This is yet proof again that modern man is NOT as smart as our ancestors were. It is embarrassing to admit this is my parents and now my generation that does this. This has to be a connection somehow, but in Stephenson County Idiotnois, there is a town on a railroad named Bolton. Coincidence?
Lyle- Many years ago I found your channel for machining videos, however it wasn’t long before your Rantings and Stories of your youth became my absolute favorite part of your channel. Please don’t ever stop. The good news is the bridge looks very repairable. Years ago we repaired a similar structure at a scout camp and were lucky enough to have a local farmer donate an old barn so we had period lumber! It took a few months because we tended to chat and laugh more than work. 😂👍
Well, the very excellent looking temporary repairs lead me to believe that a permanent fix will be coming. I have well over 50 years experience as a carpenter... and a repair looks do-able to me. We have a similar covered bridge, but much longer, here in Northern California. It has been restored....Check out Bridgeport Covered Bridge in Nevada County, California on Pleasant Valley Road, built in 1862.
I grew up in Princeton and spent a great amount of time fishing on the downstream side of that bridge. It is a very deeply loved icon for the town and all of Bureau County and the surrounding areas. We have always tried to protect and cherish it, and this is the second semi that has damaged it. I work as a Union Laborer and seeing a National Historical structure destroyed like this boils my blood. No commercial driver with any sense of responsibility would ever think to attempt to cross a tiny, single lane, wooden bridge. The township road that directly passes through that bridge is very narrow and is a restricted weight route. That driver broke the law when they even entered the road, let alone go down the winding lane of a township road to get there. This was done in broad daylight, and there is absolutely no excuse. The IDOT engineers are still trying to figure out if it can even be repaired since the extent of the damage is deep into the base of the structure. I think they should have blocked through passage and closed that road after the last idiot damaged it and just built a park down there. It's not just sad for the people who know and love it, but a true loss of our history.
Anyone crossing that bridge with a trailer or vehicle higher than a pickup truck had to be intentionally wanting to destroy it. There are plenty of them, all for game. Full cost of repair/restoration and hrs of mandatory community service at State landmarks. Very sad.
I’ve heard that drivers qualified to drive semi-trailers are in short supply and therefore they may think they are able to get away with stuff that would have gotten them fired in the past but there is only one scenario that would make sense for me to believe this was deliberate. That would be if the driver was really mad at their employer. Much more likely is that the driver was using a GPS or an app that did not differentiate between cars and heavy trucks and this bridge came up as the shortest or fastest route. Add in some distracted driving and goodby covered bridge. 100% the drivers fault and no excuse but not necessarily intentional. At least it looks repairable.
These days there are a lot of truck drivers that can not speak English, let alone read it. Even if the driver could, there are bridges all over America too low for large trucks & they get hit all the time. This historic bridge need a pre clearance warning bar. Looks like they are doing good repair,
While the drivers you mention may not speak English around you, they must be able to speak and read English at a sufficient level in order to obtain an CDL. The DOT defines sufficient as speaking and reading English well enough to converse with the general public, understand traffic signs and highway signals in English, respond to official inquiries, and make reports and records in English.
@@rogerstlaurent8704 many of us said that after the last truck (from California) ran into it. They chose to put signs on the bridge faces, which pissed many of us off, and ruins the photographic appeal (and it is used a LOT for photographs) ... Homecomings, Proms, engagement and weddings, beauty pageants, by photography students, car shows/cruises, senior photos, baptisms, Easter/first communion, and the list goes on.
During the first 5 mins I was thinking, this ain't as bad as I thought it would be. Then my jaw dropped when the first still shot appeared. Hopefully, the township has a good lawyer on their staff. While motorcycle riding, I regularly visit two New England covered bridges. I can remember my dad & I exploring a covered bridge in Vermont when i was 4 years old. That would have been in 1959. Keep up the good work Mr Pete.
😡......... initially thought not too bad, some stabilisation and patch up already carried out. But WOW, the before repair images are truly shocking. I suppose we should be grateful that the skills still exist to carry out the rebuild .
My friend is a Railroad bridge inspector for NJ transit. The majority of his work is inspecting bridge strikes. Lots of them! It’s a common occurrence. Lots of old RR bridges in NJ. A lot of them are 100 years old. Made with rivets.
RANT ON.... By seeing the later Pictures of before it was temporarily repaired looked to be a total loss of the Roof structure. At least an attempt is made to start repairing it.. Thanks lyle....
here on Long Island NY, many semi drivers do not understand that trucks are not allowed on parkways and so there is many tractortrailor crashes into the low stone bridges built back in the 30's, it is distressing to see an historical landmark damaged in this way, I hope they get it repaired quickly so folks can enjoy the beauty again
I have managed road and bridge construction all my career. I too especially love the old, covered bridges. The timber frame truss structures are a marvel. I once spent a week riding my motorcycle in the adjoining southern state visiting several old covered bridges. An enjoyable week. Just from your pictures, it appears it is quite repairable and hope they do. Thanks.
Thats a shame Pete the unfortunate thing is there are idiots among us and and stupidity isn't necessarily illegal. Many years ago this made me think about this when the subject of trucks and bridges were to topic. Back in the early 2000s my sister was crossing a old bridge after picking up her son and were going home she was 3/4 the way across the bridge and from a T intersection on her front left came a dry bulk carrier tractor trailer carrying lime he had made a left turn to fast and rolled the truck on top of her suv crushing her to death .The force push her car backwards around 50 yards to the middle of the bridge backwards. Her suv somhow was pushed up on to the guard rail part of the concrete with an iron pipe rail on top.The picture in the newspaper showed it hanging on with the rear end hanging over the rail . Her son was still in the front of the car sitting in the passenger front beside his mother who was deceased. The truck driver was alive yelling for someone to get him out of the truck he wasn't hurt very badly nor my sisters son a person living near by heard the crash and ran over and helped my nephew out of the car in fear it would drop in the river below. Heres the punishment part . The truck driver tested positive for drugs and was eating his lunch while crossing the bridge. He spent a year and halve in jail waiting for a court proceeding. I went to the hearing with something to say about the situation . The states attorney wanted to see what I wrote before I went into court and read it to the judge. He told me it was powerful. I said my say and basically they let the driver go with time served and his license was revoked. I asked the states attorney I thought he would get more time for what I considered vehicular homicide The states attorney told putting him (the truck driver) in prison for 10 years wouldn't bring your sister back. I'll never forget that. I think as far as you're bridge it should be Rebuilt by a qualified post and beam construction co.
There's a railroad bridge over a street in Durham, NC. Advance sensors tell drivers that their truck is too high. Lights & signage alerts drivers who have problem solving skills that there's a problem ahead and must turn. Those that don't have problem solving skills still hit the bridge. They raised the bridge from 11'8" to 12'4" and truck drivers still hit it. Underground utilites won't let them lower the roadway.
that is a great YT channel its just not box trucks or tractor trailers hitting the bridge its the other stupid people in RVs or towing a camper that hit the bridge that's the best part ... The other sad part there is a crash bar way before the bridge with warning lights and the height of the bridge But Trucks RVs etc would just plow through the crash bar tearing off the top of a box truck roof or a trailer roof off and still continue to keep on driving only to get snagged underneath the bridge .... Yes they did raise the train bridge to 12'.4" but when a Train goes over the bridge it snags down the train bridge by 3-4 inches
Oh no you revived my anger over this. My granpa carved his initials on the wall in the 1920s. I have fished near and under that bridge as a youngster. I almost cried when I saw the news. The biggest anger came when the state mention maybe needing to replace it. I blew a gasket, thankfully that was voted out. Illinois has lost so many wonderful old historic bridges, many over the Hennepin Canal as well as Bureau Creek. I believe the driver was fired and the company, it's insurance and the state are trying to work out the repairs. My concern is it will have to go to the courts and languish until giving it to the lowest bidder. Really I see this problem all the time. It happens with an old railroad bridge here with to tall of trucks trying to go under it. It Is an old heavy duty iron bridge that has held up to the hits. Then again it only has foot and bicycle traffic so no heavy weights.
Hi Mr Pete, I do hope somewhere there are the funds, and more to the point, the determination to repair this historic example of times past. Whatever happens, keep on ranting. You know it does you good.
The incident happened in November and they were quick to get a team in to put those supports up and make sure it had adequate support through the winter. A heavy wet snow could easily have caused the roof to collapse had this not been done. If you look at one of the photos and Mr. Peter shares, you can see that one end of the roof was fully collapsed after the truck drove all the way through (yeah, she CHOOSE not to stop after she first made contact at the other end)
As a retired truck driver, this disappoints me greatly. The sad truth is, because of numerous new laws, pay, and other rules, getting qualified drivers is hard to do. Trucking companies and driving schools are plucking any warm body out of the cities and giving them a crash course in driving, then turning them loose. Lots of these drivers have no clue how to read a map. They buy a gps unit throw it in the dash and away they go. Illinois is a bad state to just follow a gps. Unless you buy one of the expensive ones specifically for trucks, they won't tell you if it's a 73,280 LB road or a bicycle path. Just that its quicker. There are a lot of roads in Illinois, that are 73,280 roads and trucks do not belong on them. I drove in and out of Chicago for many years back and forth to Iowa. I think not only the driver, but the company and the schools that turn these drivers out should be liable for anything like this.
She wasn't new... she had worked for the company and had her CDL for at least 11 years. Agree with your GPS statements... car and truck drivers follow them blindly, and end up in BAD spots because of it. - I use GPS, but I also take the time, before a trip, to look at the maps and understand where I'm going/trying to go, and have a good idea of my turns, landscape, etc. That way, if the GPS decides to tell me "Turn Right" and I know it should be LEFT, I go the right way and make the GPS catch up. GPS is like any other tool. It can help, when used right, and it can cause a lot of pain, heartache, and damage if used improperly.
Exactly what I did. I When I was driving, all they had was the standard gps units and you had a few choices. Shortest, fastest and no tolls. Any of the choices would get you in trouble if you just followed it while driving a truck. If I didn't know where I was going, that truck never left the shippers until I had looked at the map and confirmed the route.
As a former driver of a truck, I am not surprised, shocked, nor bewildered by this, not anymore, not for a long time. Sign says 5 TON LIMIT before you get close to the bridge, and the bridge says 11 FEET 10 INCHES on itself. Truck's height is 13 feet 6 inches, and fully loaded can be up to 40 tons. Much of this is caused by lack in common sense, lack of paying attention, and following the DAMNED GPS as if it is your personal friggin messiah without thought or questioning where the hell that route will take you. ALWAYS check your routes before you drive them with satellite images if you aren't familiar with where your going. This sort of crap has no excuses, it is totally the driver's fault, and it is always preventable.
I was thinking the complete bridge was in the water. Glad to see it can be repaired. Would like to know the story of what kind of truck or trailer that did the damage.
I saw in another comment mention of a warning bar to prevent trucks or high loads from hitting the bridge. I see them at drive through facilities all over. A couple poles and a cross bar with a rail hanging on chains at a height slightly lower than the bridge entrance that will hit without wrecking the truck or the structure would wake up people before they get to the bridge. Another suggestion would be to put a boulevard island in the road leading to the bridge too tight for a semi to be able to make the turn onto the bridge approach. What fool drives a semi capable of carrying 80,000 lbs over a bridge that is limited to carrying less than 12 cows at a walking pace.
We had a historic wrought iron bridge damaged by a semi truck several years ago in Paoli, IN. If I remember correctly the trucker's insurance had to pay for complete, period correct repairs ($$$$$) and the truck driver got a short stint in county lockup...
We have the same issue in South Central Pennsylvania on our State and Interstate overhead bridges. The offender is billed for the repairs, some have lost their home. Many times there was prior damage which went undecttive but the final accident paid for all! Edit: A culvert on the municipal street in front of our office needed replaced, the State had set up a 1/2 mile detour. It was signed at 41 locations, yet there would be drivers pass all arriving at the Road Closed trestle only to knock on the door wanting a way around. I would refer them to the nearest sign, if I got they hadn't seen any signage they were going on a 4 mile trip. I have no sympathy for one that can't follow regulations or tie down their load.
I used to occasionally have to take the company dump truck to the Samford transfer station (dump). They would turn you away for an unsecured load. I was always amazed that there would always be one or more trucks stopped a block away With the drivers putting a tarp over the load.
We had a similar incident here in CT a few years back in Cornwall. Truck towing a backhoe I think. Messed it up pretty bad. All fixed now. Keep the faith.
Really sorry to see this. Im from Pennsylvania and I love these old bridges. It a shame to lose any of these old structures, bridges, homes or barns. I hope they can repair it.
My uncle has what were a bit rowdy couple of boys. I remember a story of them wiping out a guys fence. There punishment was having to work with their pissed of dad and rebuild the mans property at the boys expence. Im sure hey lost the car for a good long time also.
I randomly found your channel and this clip, and I have a few comments. 1. This looks very repairable. In my working life which involved being around a great variety of construction and remediation projects, I've often been amazed at the resourcefulness of experienced builders and engineers. I've seen repairs which required far more ingeniousness than what will be needed in this case. I have no doubt that this bridge can be restored to its original condition, likely including "period compatible" improvements. 2. This is what insurance is for! The driver, and/or his employer, should be held accountable and their insurance company should have no choice but to pay whatever it takes to fully restore the bridge. I don't know how much insurance truckers or their employers are required to have, but considering the damage that trucks can do, and the expense of certain kinds of cargo, I'd be surprised if the insurance is inadequate in this case. If the insurance is inadequate or if the insurance company successfully evades any requirement to pay (the insurance company WILL try to weasel out of this because it's what they always try to do), then the bridge owner needs to take the whole lot of them to court. 3. Thank goodness the bridge didn't collapse. The load limit was clearly posted as 5 tons, which is far less than the weight of even an empty semi-truck rig. For the driver to think it was okay to cross here was just beyond sheer stupidity. And you are right about the stupidity factor regarding the overhead clearance too. 4. Here in the Upper Midwest, there are various places where old iron bridges are still in place. TH-cam usually deletes any comment that contains a link, so I won't post the applicable link for an article about an ancient iron bridge over the Upper Iowa River in northeast Iowa, which a semi-truck driver thought he could cross because he was following his GPS instead of making sensible decisions about route planning. The bridge was only one lane wide, and it was on as much of a "back road" as you could ever find. The truck was a semi- with a loaded grain trailer, and the weight was reported to be 30 tons, and the bridge's weight limit was posted at 3 tons! For those that want to see pictures of the result of this example of truck-driver stupidity, type the following search words: "bridge" "Upper Iowa River" "collapse", and look for an article from *The Des Moines Register*.
Look up Bayswater Bridge, Perth Western Australia built in 1910, check out how many dumb truck drivers have written off their trucks over the past 60+yrs, it was a regular occurrence, with at least 2-3 dumb truck drivers per year wedging their truck under this low bridge, 10 incidents in 2021, something like 16 in 2019 etc. On google there is a calendar 'how many days since the Bayswater Bridge was last hit' with a truck wedgie😂 Just recently, within the last year or so, I remember hearing something about the bridge being removed altogether, or to be rebuilt up from 3.8M to 4.8M along with local rail network upgrades, due to them being sick of all the truck wedgies over the years🤣👍
We had a covered bridge in our area in Willamette Valley, Oregon that was damaged by a farm implements service truck that had not lowered its crane. The implement dealer and their insurance company paid for the rebuilding. There is a local wooden bridge construction company that repairs many of the covered bridges in the area.
We have quite a few of these old bridges here in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, some dating back to the 1830's. Most are still open to traffic today, and in amazing condition.
I've seen historic buildings torn down by the city council of PASADENA, TEXAS!!! Their stupidity is beyond hope! We all have a right to rant. Hope it gets fixed correctly. Thanks, Mr Pete
Every time I would go to Princeton for the gun show , The Bridge was one of the stops I would make. , I can't type the words that I would like to say but the driver should be looking at a large part of the bill along with the company that he worked for . We may be able to fix STUPID BUT we should make it hard for the person to forget. Thank you for posting this as I missed it when it was new, Take care and till we meet again.
@@mrpete222 No I have not, I didn't know there was one to the west. I have always came into town from the east or the north side of town. will check into it the next time I am down that way. Thanks for the info.
It is called the Captain swift bridge. Google it. There is no way you will find it without Google maps. That’s a good thing, then maybe the truck drivers won’t go through it.
some local filth burned down a beauty here in Ada Michigan a few yrs back. IF you saw the film Bridges of Madison County... Someone burned down a lot of those old bridges after the movie came out. At least there is something left to work on here.
I live near Waupaca, WI, and there are two covered bridges. One in town behind Taco Bell, and one just out of town by the old Red Mill. The one behind Taco Bell can still be crossed by passenger cars, but the one by the Red Mill is foot traffic only and still has the old Toll sign up with what they charged to cross it. They charged to walk across, ride a horse across, or pull a horse buggy or wagon across. It leads up to a small old chapel, and there are lots of weddings between the bridge and chapel. Luckily, there is no way to drive up to it. Walking is now the only way. I hope they get the repairs on the one there completed and are able to salvage it.
I drove for CRST back in 1978, we stopped at the Shelly’s off the highway, great folks etc. Start at the top and go on down the line ; DMV, for issuing a license, the Company he works for, finally the driver, who is ultimately responsible for reading all the signs and obeying them. I hauled Jeeps outta Toledo to Chicago, ill, Ind, Oh, Mich , and many places with 13’6” AND shorter clearance. Backed out of many until I learned my lesson. When in doubt don’t!!!!
We lost a nearby bridge when a USPS semi driver took a joy ride and tried a new route. A modern bridge replaced the completely collapsed bridge. Your loss and our loss are sad days.
Mr.Pete, I grew up in Princeton and have many memories of the bridge. We also have photos at the bridge when one of my sisters got married... She and her husband were in our neighbors antique car and I had mine. A handful of years back, my daughter and her best friend were taking a photography class in college. The professor wanted landscapes and cityscapes for their final project, and warned the students "I don't want the typical stuff from around here." - We headed to Princeton and took tons of photos, including many at the Red Covered Bridge and the city county park. A few years after that, our youngest was taking photography in high school, and off to Princeton we went. NOBODY in either class, had anything comparable to the sights and history that they captured. Getting back to the damage to the bridge, you may have noticed the height limit signs on the bridge. These were added a few years ago, when a driver from California, ignored the ones along the roadway, and drove his truck into the bridge. That driver stopped in the bridge, it was repaired/restored, and the aforementioned signage was put on the faces of the bridge (pissing MANY people off). My personal opinion was there should have been posts installed on either side, a ways back, with a bar or height chain going across (like you see at many businesses with drive-thru service.). Anyway the current damage occurred in November of 2023 and the driver worked for a company in the Chicagoland area (I wont' mention the name, but they shutdown their website, social media accounts, and phones for a while after this, because of the hate they were receiving). For whatever reason, she not only drove into the bridge, but continued to go all the way through, and there is NO WAY she didn't know that she was damaging things. The top of the cab and sleeper were damaged and the trailer was torn apart and peeled back, end to end. I had come up to Princeton that day to visit my parents, and had plans to go out and take photos of the bridge before heading home, as I love photography and astrophotography. As you and your friend noticed, there has been some work done to shore up and support the roof. I was glad to see this, and it certainly was necessary to limit further damage, especially with the winter approaching, and the weight of a heavy wet snow could have caused a collapse. I know the driver lost her job and companies insurance will payout for the repairs, and it is very likely they will non-renew with the company, which will mean they have to find a new commercial carrier for insurance, and that is going to cost them dearly. I haven't seen anything specifically stating that the driver received any tickets for this, but I would hope she did, and that she loses her CDL for it. In addition, if that happens, she should be entered into the NDR system, so that she cannot get a CDL expect in the 5 states that do not participate in/use the NDR system.
They have a covered Bridge in Long Grove , here near Chicago, it too was heavily damaged by a truck and they rebuilt it. They have the road well marked out to keep trucks off it, but its constantly being hit at least 50 times in the last few years. Fortunately they put in a steel beam to protect the bridge and it has stopped these trucks.
That is sad I come from Mass and had a ton of them bridges so I can appreciate them so much and completely understand anger. I never saw that one in IL even though i was living in IL for a few years.
We have an Illinois river here in Oregon. Its a designated wild and scenic river, so no trucks or covered bridges. There is one, 60 foot high steel cable foot bridge on the river.... 1963 is slowly becoming historical...... me too (1957) 😁 Too bad about the bridge. I hope it can be saved.
How do you drive up upon a structure like that in a semi and think you should proceed? I live in New England, and we are always having the old low railroad overpasses hit. It is usually a French-Canadian truck driver I guess 11' 6" doesn't translate. Such a shame on your bridge hope they can repair it.
Your rant is appropriate, coming from a trucker, we have several idiots in the industry that I have to question who they paid off to get their CDL if they have one and who did they smooth talk to letting them plant their butt in the seat and yeah they should be held 100% accountable for damages to the bridge and surrounding area
Mr Pete, it's the same everywhere. I'm in the Netherlands and I'm my just over 30 years I've seen so many farms that were hundreds of years old being demolished and the most ugly houses (modern from a folder) return. It's devastating to me..
WOW! I sure hope they caught the person that did this and identified the company he worked for. Time to call Morgan & Morgan!!!! . Your rant and anger are justified.
We have almost 30 covered bridges in Lancaster County PA so at least once a year someone tries to run a 13' tall trailer through an 11' covered bridge. The oldest bridge in the county was torn up badly last November. Around here they repair/rebuild them. Sadly it happens enough that there are still builders that know how to repair them.
Here in Melbourne, Australia we have a lot of older bridges with lower clearances and trucks have been hitting them and continue to do so. However the majority of bridges with lower clearances have been protected by steel and concrete beams placed on abutment protection columns and secured with heavy chains to prevent the beams from falling following a impact. The beams still get hit from time to time and there is a classic bridge in South Melbourne that even has extra warning devices but still gets hit. It actually ripped the roof off a large Goldfields tour bus a few years ago. The bridge even has it's own website. Mark from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺
Did they demolish the whole thing after your visit? It didn't look like the main structure was heavily damaged. A bridge in mid Pennsylvania was just rebuilt. It was completely taken apart, repaired and reconstructed. Taking it down would be a crying shame. There are many tomber framing craftsman out there that would gladly help repair it.
We have a similar 100 plus year old bridge here in Little Gap Pa that has been damaged more times than I can remember. They even put up steel I beams on the approach to no avail. Our bridge uses naturally curved beams. It took months to locate suitable replacements As for the driver he/she should have their license suspended and be required to pay for the repairs. 🤬
There’s a famous low underpass that got hit every week despite great signage warning of the height limit. So the city put up a bar at that height in front of it. No the bar AND the underpass both get it…because there’s no intelligence test to acquire a driver’s license
So true. I would often tell my brother, that you needto take an IQ test to get a license. A minimum of 95. Currently, anyone with good eyesight, and a pulse is allowed to drive.
They rent trucks to the public. Years ago I was helping my cousin move just after he got back from Vietnam. I was 12 and read everything about the truck we were in particularly the height. We were heading straight to a 12 foot underpass with our 12 foot 4 inch truck. I was riding shotgun and paying attention so impact avoided. Lots of amateurs out there, lots of accidents waiting to happen.
Shout out from Texas! I have been fascinated with covered bridges ever since the first time I saw one (in a movie *there are no covered bridges in Texas😂). When I saw this video popped up in my feed, I was sick. HOWEVER (even though the damage to the roof covering was quite extensive), if the support structure is unharmed, then the covering should be fairly straightforward to repair or replace. I imagine that it will be returned to its original glory. I bet it was some idiot in a rental truck...
"64-year-old woman from Alabama, told police that she missed her turn and was rerouted by GPS to the bridge, which is just north of an industrial park near Route 26 and Interstate 80.....She worked for Wynn Logistics in Vernon Hills." She was fired from her job as a truck driver. Should have her CDL revoked. Wynn Logistics should pay to have all the repairs done through their insurance.
Angry Mr Pete is even better than caffeinated Mr Pete. A person has to be incredibly careless and lacking all common sense to do something like this. I am also a pretty big history buff, this sort of thing really just makes me sad. We need to be protecting our history, now days more than ever.
In Pa. we had this also happen . They held the driver and his company liable for replacement of a new cover bridge like the one they hit. The job done is a good one the bridge is as good as the one they damaged.
As a civil war buff from the south (TN) I share your pain. Seeing this bridge for the first time I’m amazed that a semi truck would be allowed to pass over it. Sad, the company should be liable for damages.
The photos of the bridge scene just after the accident were the most shocking! Rant completely justified Lyle! Obviously the truck driver, his employer and his insurance company are going to have to foot the bill. Not Negotiable! Public service punishment as well as resitting his CDL, with particular emphasis on just how to go about measuring truck and load dimensions. Mark from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺
Maybe they need to put a steel frame on each side of the bridge as a gentle reminder of the size limitations. The covered part of these bridges is intended to protect the bridge itself from the effects of the elements. It looks like this can be repaired though it’s gonna cost some money.
Lyle, this is just blatant stupidity. I'm familiar with that bridge! I certainly hope the PD found the responsible driver, or they had the balls to come forward and admit what they did. Yeah...... good luck with that-- I'd be very surprised. Insurance company should be made to pay the entire cost, and the dummy driver should put a brand new coat of paint on it himself......
The interior engineering on these bridges is spectacular. You must remember that they were usually built in very rural areas without the use of advanced tools.
Yes, I really wanted to show more of the trusses and beams and how the thing is actually built. But only one in 1000 people would be interested in that.
@@mrpete222 I recently saw a bridge in Vermont (Florence) and in New York State (in Buskirk) and just couldn't get enough of them The interiors were awesome in their structural order.
Ugh! That is infuriating. Glad to see there are repairs underway instead of demolishing the whole structure. I hope the driver had good insurance cause they need to cover all the damages.
Same type of incident here in Preble County, Ohio (southwest part of the state that butts up to the Indiana line) when a "lost" Semi-truck (Kroger Foods) plowed into the Brubaker covered bridge (1887) causing so much damage in August 2022. Thankfully, the County Commissioners took immediate action and just yesterday, our lical news reported the bridge is repaired and open for business. My life partner and I began exploring covered bridges during Covid since she lives in a part of Indiana that is considered the "Covered Bridge Capital of the World" and as of today, we have visited/photographed a total of 87 bridges in 4 states. At 72 years of age myself, we plan to hit at least a total of 100 bridges by the end of this summer. Appreciate the history!
Your anger is completely justified. When I first heard of this happening I just shook my head thinking about the type of driver that would be that dumb to do such a thing. I’ve met plenty that would fit the bill. We call them steering wheel holders. Hopefully it gets correctly repaired soon.
My 3X-great-grand dad’s brother-in-law listed his occupation as “bridge builder” on the census at the time this bridge was being built. He lived a few miles east of the bridge so I assume he worked on it. He also married my 3X-great-grand ma after they were both widowed but that’s another story. We spent a few days in Princeton in 2021 and I seem to remember a story about a truck damaging the bridge then. If they would have used the sprinkler pipe to make gates a hundred feet before the bridge it might have been a better use of resources.
That’s a very interesting story. That your great great great grandpa was a carpenter that worked on that bridge. Did you know that there is another covered bridge near Princeton. But it’s only about 20 years old, but still beautiful.
this same thing happened in south eastern PA a few years back. idiot was following google maps in his semi. didn't bother to read the signs and made a mess of a newly restored bridge. I understand his company got the bill for a second restoration.
Well past time to add a height bar across the road that vehicles must pass through before getting to the bridge. Like you see at the airport or drive-through bank lane.
I agree about your excellent non rant. That was thought out first about what to say. Hopefully it will be fixed and put back into service and glad you ignored the barracades!
There is a famous bridge in Durham NC that has flashing lights, and signs warning of the 11'8" bridge that has been nicknamed, The Canopener. It's a train crossing, too close to the station to raise the bridge, and a sewer line right under it, so they can't lower the road. This was all built at a time when 11'8 was a huge truck, and now it's not. They have cameras pointed so we can watch people hit the bridge, but nothing hurt that bridge, it's tough. They have raised it to 12'4", but if you go a few blocks south, you can drive over the tracks, instead of under.
I’m a photographer and it’s that part of me that was shocked and saddened by the destruction of such a beautiful bridge. It’s good that repairs were made, even though it isn’t, and never will be, the same. ☹️☹️
I crossed that bridge my children crossed that bridge we lived on a farm just 4 miles from that bridge. Fished under that bridge and all up and down Bureau creek
The good news is that the support structure of the bridge was not compromised. It was only the roof that was really damaged, and, in all reality, it only served to secure the side-to-side movement of the tops of the trusses.
I can only hope that the driver was insured and the insurance company covers the cost of repair. in these days that is assuming a lot... the driver if working for a company should have been fired on the spot. the town should install a steel height barrier on both sides to protect the bridge. we need to protect our history from future bad decisions at all cost...
I’m from Springfield and remember back in the 70s they had covered bridge festivals and maps so you could take a tour of all the bridges in the area. In fact, the one near my high school in Chatham Illinois was set aside for historic purposes and they built the road around it so this cannot happen.. So sad.
We had a similar situation about a year ago outside of a small town in Ohio called Gratis. The truck driver and trucking company are Mexican. The main route was closed for road construction but there was a detour. The driver used a GPS to try to shortcut the detour. He could not read English so he didn’t know that he was over height. Fortunately he only got about 5 feet into the bridge before he got stuck and they had to get a tow truck to drag him out. He did receive a citation and the trucking company’s insurance is paying the repair bills. There has been an idea floated to put up clearance bars on front of all historic bridges but it will probably not go anywhere because it takes money and none of it would be going into a politician’s pocket.
What a shame! People are so careless. We have 3 covered bridges in the Maryland county I grew up in. Built in the 1850s or so. Someone burned one up by parking a truck in it then lighting it on fire. Bridge got rebuilt and the Two jokers went to prison. Rant-on, man. Needs to said!
Beautiful bridge 😍 absolutely NO vehicles should have been allowed to travel through the bridge 😠 it should only be for walking 🥰 it needs some cement barricades in front of the entrances so you can't drive in it 😠
The driver should be made to pay for the Full Cost of Repair to the bridge on top of the Traffic Fines & Court Fees. Plus having their CDL suspended or revoked.
How do you know it was a CDL driver/truck?
Whats the point in having insurance 🤔
@@51-FSinsurance is not very reassuring anymore. Now a days they use every trick in the book to get out of paying anything. A claims adjuster would probably agree to pay for a blue tarp.
@dannyl2598 I haven't had any issues with a claim. I had a lady bump me at a light. She hit my receiver hitch.i got 1400 bucks. They didn't want to give me anything at first. I just said ok, well just give me paper work saying that if anything happens when I'm towing somthing u will take responsibility. Next day I got a check to replace my hitch and to send truck to frame shop... u just got to know how to play theor game
@@51-FS I'm glad it worked out for you.
Reminds me of the gal that wrecked the bridge in Paoli Indiana a few years ago said she was following her gps to Walmart and drove her semi onto the bridge marked 6 ton max because she didn’t know how much a ton was and figured she was under that. The huge no truck signs apparently failed to register in her brain. Sadly these people still get to vote!!
And they vote for the party that is very lenient on them
@@mrpete222, can we just leave politics out of it? Please? Your statement is not necessary. So sad that political anger has to creep into everything. It severely lessens your credibility.
@@cherylwilliams2107a lot you know 😂
@@soakupthesunman 😂🤣😂🤣😂
@@mrpete222 4 Russian bot upvoted your comment.
If they can rebuild Notre Dam they can certainly put this bridge back in shape .But the driver is going suffer the bill and the consequences.
Rant on Sir . In my short time of 51 yrs here I have come to the conclusion that most people given an inch will inherently take a foot or all 13.6 and it only seems to be getting worse Ps keep up the good you
Absolutely! Yet, many will take the mile without getting an inch. This is the age of selfishness and thoughtlessness
All because they didn't want to turn around or the route the other way was too far.
A lot of the problem is "me first and to Hell with you and everything else"
Thank you for covering this. I work for IDOT District 3 bridge crew, I was on scene within a half hour. The lady who was driving the truck was from Texas, figured she was going around 55 when she hit it. I’m not law enforcement but I do know there were no tickets issued. 🤦🏻though there is a lot of damage we have not found any damage that would keep the bridge from reopening. All the wood and the original sign are safety stored at our shop, we hope to get working on it in spring.
Thank you very much, I appreciate a comment from an insider. Hopefully it will get restored to its original condition before the accident. Why didn’t she get a ticket?
@@mrpete222 the way the officers explained it to me was if she got a ticket and fought it and somehow won, she would not be responsible for it. But if they issue a written warning there would be no way to fight it and the company would automatically be responsible for damages. I don’t understand it, but the company is going to pay for the reconstruction. It’s unfortunate how much won’t be original 😢 but we are going to try our best to try to salvage what we can, the community has been real supportive of our effort.
Sea Bass
That makes sense in this litigious country these days 🙄 Good news otherwise.
Over height and speeding (no doubt) plus overweight possibly, it's shocking that some drivers are so unawares of their responsibilities on the road. Given the damage, I would suspend her license for a year.
I am particularly fond of Howes truss bridges and gratefull the main structure is intact. There are not many surviving examples left so, if the damage is repairable a sigh of relief is in order. It could have been much worse.
Overweight?? The woman driver or the tryck?
MrPete, Do not apologize. Your rant is shared by many! I'm very closely involved in work with many who claim they are truck drivers. They have no clue what a real truck driver is! Can't drive without automatic transmission, has to have AC, asks if wearing flip flops and shorts is ok, no idea how to adjust brakes and the list goes on and on. Following signs as basic as it is for us...that's way beyond their capabilities!
@r.m.3020: I'm a heavy truck mechanic from Pennsylvania. Believe me when I say you " do not " want truck drivers adjusting their own brakes, they can barely comprehend how to do a proper pre/post trip inspection of their vehicle let alone make adjustments or repairs to it. In most states you are now required to be certified that you know how to adjust/ repair braking systems. I was grandfathered in since I could prove I had the required skills due to being a professional heavy truck mechanic for 27 years. Most current truckers are absolutely stupid and cannot even fill out the D.O.T. paperwork correctly and 90% of the drivers at the trucking company I work for cannot even drive a manual equipped passenger car let alone a manual in a heavy truck. Except for our drop-deck lowbeds all of of trucks are automatic. I'd be embarrassed to call myself a man if I couldn't drive a stick shift!!!
Mr. Pete, simple saying 'You can't fix stupid ' ! What a shame.
Fortunately you can fix a bridge and that is what should be done, funded entirely by the drivers insurance or the drivers pocket!
"Common sense isn't all that common anymore"
So true !
Your video reminded me of a similar story I read about a few years back. A covered bridge in Long Grove Illinois had just reopened after it was damaged by a box truck that tried to go through it. Less then 24 hours after the bridge reopening ceremony, a school bus tried to go through it and damaged it again.
It is just a shame that people doing stupid things ruin it for everyone else.
They are so desperate for school, bus, drivers, that they will hire anyone
@@mrpete222 I am a school bus driver and I concur. I've been driving school bus for over 17 years and some of the people we have hired shouldn't be allowed to drive bicycle let alone a school bus. It shocks me to see some of the things they do. If your a good driver and like kids, think about driving a school bus, we desperately need GOOD drivers.
MJ
The driver had to have a commercial license, He should have it revoked and fined the total cost of repair. A not be allowed to drive commercial vehicle again. That is totally stupid, that bridge was well post for height. and clearly driver error. Thanks Mr Pete keep up the good work.
I sympathise with you at the loss of your history.
Along the same vein; here in Bolton, northwest of Manchester, UK, some 25 years ago, an old railway bridge was demolished. The bridge was an elliptical arch, brick built structure that supported what was the ‘Bolton to Leigh Railway’. The line had long since vanished in the 1960s and few other remnants exist.
Why was I upset? The ‘Bolton to Leigh Railway’ was designed and constructed by George Stephenson round about 1830 and opened just before the world renown ‘Manchester to Liverpool Railway’. (Delayed because of construction across Chat moss, very boggy land.)
Thousands came to view the opening when Mr. Stephenson and his wife came to the ceremony. The line carried mainly coal at first, with some passenger waggons. It was demolished, without objection by the town council, to widen a lorry park, after some 170 years being left alone.
I empathise with your anguish at the permanent loss of historic constructions. They can NEVER be recreated.
👍🇬🇧👍🇺🇸👍
This is yet proof again that modern man is NOT as smart as our ancestors were. It is embarrassing to admit this is my parents and now my generation that does this.
This has to be a connection somehow, but in Stephenson County Idiotnois, there is a town on a railroad named Bolton. Coincidence?
@@stephenstrohacker7863 Very true. I don’t know about the coincidence of names. It’s interesting nonetheless. Thank you.
You are justified in your anger, lisle! Maddening!
Lyle- Many years ago I found your channel for machining videos, however it wasn’t long before your Rantings and Stories of your youth became my absolute favorite part of your channel. Please don’t ever stop. The good news is the bridge looks very repairable. Years ago we repaired a similar structure at a scout camp and were lucky enough to have a local farmer donate an old barn so we had period lumber! It took a few months because we tended to chat and laugh more than work. 😂👍
Wow, thanks.
I received a comment earlier today, saying the exact opposite of what you said
John, I love these videos from Lyle too! I don’t like that the bridge was hit but it’s good to hear Lyle’s take on it.
I concur that it looks very repairable.
That would be a steering wheel holder no truck driver could be that crazy
Agree, she was a steering wheel holder that day, and threw away her and job, and probably CDL, of 11 years for her choice.
Well, the very excellent looking temporary repairs lead me to believe that a permanent fix will be coming. I have well over 50 years experience as a carpenter... and a repair looks do-able to me. We have a similar covered bridge, but much longer, here in Northern California. It has been restored....Check out Bridgeport Covered Bridge in Nevada County, California on Pleasant Valley Road, built in 1862.
👍👍👍
I grew up in Princeton and spent a great amount of time fishing on the downstream side of that bridge. It is a very deeply loved icon for the town and all of Bureau County and the surrounding areas. We have always tried to protect and cherish it, and this is the second semi that has damaged it. I work as a Union Laborer and seeing a National Historical structure destroyed like this boils my blood. No commercial driver with any sense of responsibility would ever think to attempt to cross a tiny, single lane, wooden bridge. The township road that directly passes through that bridge is very narrow and is a restricted weight route. That driver broke the law when they even entered the road, let alone go down the winding lane of a township road to get there. This was done in broad daylight, and there is absolutely no excuse. The IDOT engineers are still trying to figure out if it can even be repaired since the extent of the damage is deep into the base of the structure. I think they should have blocked through passage and closed that road after the last idiot damaged it and just built a park down there.
It's not just sad for the people who know and love it, but a true loss of our history.
Totally agree with you. We spent a lot of time fishing and playing in the canal near Princeton.
I think every kid in the area spent time out there, it was a great secluded spot and a ton of fun.
Anyone crossing that bridge with a trailer or vehicle higher than a pickup truck had to be intentionally wanting to destroy it. There are plenty of them, all for game. Full cost of repair/restoration and hrs of mandatory community service at State landmarks. Very sad.
I’ve heard that drivers qualified to drive semi-trailers are in short supply and therefore they may think they are able to get away with stuff that would have gotten them fired in the past but there is only one scenario that would make sense for me to believe this was deliberate. That would be if the driver was really mad at their employer.
Much more likely is that the driver was using a GPS or an app that did not differentiate between cars and heavy trucks and this bridge came up as the shortest or fastest route. Add in some distracted driving and goodby covered bridge. 100% the drivers fault and no excuse but not necessarily intentional.
At least it looks repairable.
driver playing with phone, or on drugs most likely the cause. @@janderson8401
These days there are a lot of truck drivers that can not speak English, let alone read it.
Even if the driver could, there are bridges all over America too low for large trucks & they get hit all the time.
This historic bridge need a pre clearance warning bar. Looks like they are doing good repair,
A D*** solid clearance bar with cable support that will rip the top off !!!!
What that bridge needs is a HD Snag bars it would prevent any Tall Trucks RVs campers etc entering the bridge
While the drivers you mention may not speak English around you, they must be able to speak and read English at a sufficient level in order to obtain an CDL. The DOT defines sufficient as speaking and reading English well enough to converse with the general public, understand traffic signs and highway signals in English, respond to official inquiries, and make reports and records in English.
@@rogerstlaurent8704 many of us said that after the last truck (from California) ran into it. They chose to put signs on the bridge faces, which pissed many of us off, and ruins the photographic appeal (and it is used a LOT for photographs) ... Homecomings, Proms, engagement and weddings, beauty pageants, by photography students, car shows/cruises, senior photos, baptisms, Easter/first communion, and the list goes on.
@@ward7voter111do you really think that is even remotely enforced especially in left wing areas.
During the first 5 mins I was thinking, this ain't as bad as I thought it would be. Then my jaw dropped when the first still shot appeared. Hopefully, the township has a good lawyer on their staff.
While motorcycle riding, I regularly visit two New England covered bridges.
I can remember my dad & I exploring a covered bridge in Vermont when i was 4 years old. That would have been in 1959.
Keep up the good work Mr Pete.
😡......... initially thought not too bad, some stabilisation and patch up already carried out. But WOW, the before repair images are truly shocking. I suppose we should be grateful that the skills still exist to carry out the rebuild .
My friend is a Railroad bridge inspector for NJ transit. The majority of his work is inspecting bridge strikes. Lots of them! It’s a common occurrence. Lots of old RR bridges in NJ. A lot of them are 100 years old. Made with rivets.
Wow
RANT ON.... By seeing the later Pictures of before it was temporarily repaired looked to be a total loss of the Roof structure. At least an attempt is made to start repairing it..
Thanks lyle....
here on Long Island NY, many semi drivers do not understand that trucks are not allowed on parkways and so there is many tractortrailor crashes into the low stone bridges built back in the 30's, it is distressing to see an historical landmark damaged in this way, I hope they get it repaired quickly so folks can enjoy the beauty again
I have managed road and bridge construction all my career. I too especially love the old, covered bridges. The timber frame truss structures are a marvel. I once spent a week riding my motorcycle in the adjoining southern state visiting several old covered bridges. An enjoyable week. Just from your pictures, it appears it is quite repairable and hope they do. Thanks.
Thank you for the optimism. I think that it is repairable by Amish carpenters.
Thats a shame Pete the unfortunate thing is there are idiots among us and and stupidity isn't necessarily illegal. Many years ago this made me think about this when the subject of trucks and bridges were to topic. Back in the early 2000s my sister was crossing a old bridge after picking up her son and were going home she was 3/4 the way across the bridge and from a T intersection on her front left came a dry bulk carrier tractor trailer carrying lime he had made a left turn to fast and rolled the truck on top of her suv crushing her to death .The force push her car backwards around 50 yards to the middle of the bridge backwards. Her suv somhow was pushed up on to the guard rail part of the concrete with an iron pipe rail on top.The picture in the newspaper showed it hanging on with the rear end hanging over the rail . Her son was still in the front of the car sitting in the passenger front beside his mother who was deceased. The truck driver was alive yelling for someone to get him out of the truck he wasn't hurt very badly nor my sisters son a person living near by heard the crash and ran over and helped my nephew out of the car in fear it would drop in the river below. Heres the punishment part . The truck driver tested positive for drugs and was eating his lunch while crossing the bridge. He spent a year and halve in jail waiting for a court proceeding. I went to the hearing with something to say about the situation . The states attorney wanted to see what I wrote before I went into court and read it to the judge. He told me it was powerful. I said my say and basically they let the driver go with time served and his license was revoked. I asked the states attorney I thought he would get more time for what I considered vehicular homicide
The states attorney told putting him (the truck driver) in prison for 10 years wouldn't bring your sister back. I'll never forget that. I think as far as you're bridge it should be Rebuilt by a qualified post and beam construction co.
😂😂
There's a railroad bridge over a street in Durham, NC. Advance sensors tell drivers that their truck is too high. Lights & signage alerts drivers who have problem solving skills that there's a problem ahead and must turn. Those that don't have problem solving skills still hit the bridge. They raised the bridge from 11'8" to 12'4" and truck drivers still hit it. Underground utilites won't let them lower the roadway.
that is a great YT channel its just not box trucks or tractor trailers hitting the bridge its the other stupid people in RVs or towing a camper that hit the bridge that's the best part ... The other sad part there is a crash bar way before the bridge with warning lights and the height of the bridge But Trucks RVs etc would just plow through the crash bar tearing off the top of a box truck roof or a trailer roof off and still continue to keep on driving only to get snagged underneath the bridge .... Yes they did raise the train bridge to 12'.4" but when a Train goes over the bridge it snags down the train bridge by 3-4 inches
The pitiful thing about that bridge is that are grade crossings a block away on both sides.
The "Can Opener"!
@@rogerstlaurent8704 I'm still convinced there are people who crash trucks and RV's through that bridge just to get on TH-cam.
Mr. Pete , what an awesome human being you are. You love of our amazing country and community is priceless.. thank you 🙏.
Oh no you revived my anger over this. My granpa carved his initials on the wall in the 1920s. I have fished near and under that bridge as a youngster. I almost cried when I saw the news. The biggest anger came when the state mention maybe needing to replace it. I blew a gasket, thankfully that was voted out. Illinois has lost so many wonderful old historic bridges, many over the Hennepin Canal as well as Bureau Creek. I believe the driver was fired and the company, it's insurance and the state are trying to work out the repairs. My concern is it will have to go to the courts and languish until giving it to the lowest bidder. Really I see this problem all the time. It happens with an old railroad bridge here with to tall of trucks trying to go under it. It Is an old heavy duty iron bridge that has held up to the hits. Then again it only has foot and bicycle traffic so no heavy weights.
Hi Mr Pete, I do hope somewhere there are the funds, and more to the point, the determination to repair this historic example of times past. Whatever happens, keep on ranting. You know it does you good.
Do not look to the democrats or the biden administration for money to fix it because they give everything to their illegal aliens and Ukraine
That is a Howe Design Truss. Looks like the support timbers are OK; just the roof is damaged and a few cross ties for the top chords.
The incident happened in November and they were quick to get a team in to put those supports up and make sure it had adequate support through the winter. A heavy wet snow could easily have caused the roof to collapse had this not been done. If you look at one of the photos and Mr. Peter shares, you can see that one end of the roof was fully collapsed after the truck drove all the way through (yeah, she CHOOSE not to stop after she first made contact at the other end)
As a retired truck driver, this disappoints me greatly. The sad truth is, because of numerous new laws, pay, and other rules, getting qualified drivers is hard to do. Trucking companies and driving schools are plucking any warm body out of the cities and giving them a crash course in driving, then turning them loose. Lots of these drivers have no clue how to read a map. They buy a gps unit throw it in the dash and away they go. Illinois is a bad state to just follow a gps. Unless you buy one of the expensive ones specifically for trucks, they won't tell you if it's a 73,280 LB road or a bicycle path. Just that its quicker. There are a lot of roads in Illinois, that are 73,280 roads and trucks do not belong on them. I drove in and out of Chicago for many years back and forth to Iowa. I think not only the driver, but the company and the schools that turn these drivers out should be liable for anything like this.
👍👍👍
As an OTR truck driver these companies put a warm body in the seat that cannot read or speak English. I'll let you all figure out what that means.
She wasn't new... she had worked for the company and had her CDL for at least 11 years.
Agree with your GPS statements... car and truck drivers follow them blindly, and end up in BAD spots because of it. - I use GPS, but I also take the time, before a trip, to look at the maps and understand where I'm going/trying to go, and have a good idea of my turns, landscape, etc. That way, if the GPS decides to tell me "Turn Right" and I know it should be LEFT, I go the right way and make the GPS catch up. GPS is like any other tool. It can help, when used right, and it can cause a lot of pain, heartache, and damage if used improperly.
Exactly what I did. I When I was driving, all they had was the standard gps units and you had a few choices. Shortest, fastest and no tolls. Any of the choices would get you in trouble if you just followed it while driving a truck. If I didn't know where I was going, that truck never left the shippers until I had looked at the map and confirmed the route.
As a former driver of a truck, I am not surprised, shocked, nor bewildered by this, not anymore, not for a long time. Sign says 5 TON LIMIT before you get close to the bridge, and the bridge says 11 FEET 10 INCHES on itself. Truck's height is 13 feet 6 inches, and fully loaded can be up to 40 tons. Much of this is caused by lack in common sense, lack of paying attention, and following the DAMNED GPS as if it is your personal friggin messiah without thought or questioning where the hell that route will take you. ALWAYS check your routes before you drive them with satellite images if you aren't familiar with where your going. This sort of crap has no excuses, it is totally the driver's fault, and it is always preventable.
👍👍👍
I was thinking the complete bridge was in the water.
Glad to see it can be repaired.
Would like to know the story of what kind of truck or trailer that did the damage.
I saw in another comment mention of a warning bar to prevent trucks or high loads from hitting the bridge.
I see them at drive through facilities all over.
A couple poles and a cross bar with a rail hanging on chains at a height slightly lower than the bridge entrance that will hit without wrecking the truck or the structure would wake up people before they get to the bridge.
Another suggestion would be to put a boulevard island in the road leading to the bridge too tight for a semi to be able to make the turn onto the bridge approach.
What fool drives a semi capable of carrying 80,000 lbs over a bridge that is limited to carrying less than 12 cows at a walking pace.
👍👍👍
We had a historic wrought iron bridge damaged by a semi truck several years ago in Paoli, IN. If I remember correctly the trucker's insurance had to pay for complete, period correct repairs ($$$$$) and the truck driver got a short stint in county lockup...
We have the same issue in South Central Pennsylvania on our State and Interstate overhead bridges. The offender is billed for the repairs, some have lost their home. Many times there was prior damage which went undecttive but the final accident paid for all!
Edit: A culvert on the municipal street in front of our office needed replaced, the State had set up a 1/2 mile detour. It was signed at 41 locations, yet there would be drivers pass all arriving at the Road Closed trestle only to knock on the door wanting a way around. I would refer them to the nearest sign, if I got they hadn't seen any signage they were going on a 4 mile trip.
I have no sympathy for one that can't follow regulations or tie down their load.
I used to occasionally have to take the company dump truck to the Samford transfer station (dump). They would turn you away for an unsecured load. I was always amazed that there would always be one or more trucks stopped a block away With the drivers putting a tarp over the load.
We had a similar incident here in CT a few years back in Cornwall. Truck towing a backhoe I think. Messed it up pretty bad. All fixed now. Keep the faith.
Really sorry to see this. Im from Pennsylvania and I love these old bridges. It a shame to lose any of these old structures, bridges, homes or barns. I hope they can repair it.
My uncle has what were a bit rowdy couple of boys. I remember a story of them wiping out a guys fence. There punishment was having to work with their pissed of dad and rebuild the mans property at the boys expence. Im sure hey lost the car for a good long time also.
Your passion and outrage over this incident speaks well of you Lyle. Rant on!
😄😄
I randomly found your channel and this clip, and I have a few comments.
1. This looks very repairable. In my working life which involved being around a great variety of construction and remediation projects, I've often been amazed at the resourcefulness of experienced builders and engineers. I've seen repairs which required far more ingeniousness than what will be needed in this case. I have no doubt that this bridge can be restored to its original condition, likely including "period compatible" improvements.
2. This is what insurance is for! The driver, and/or his employer, should be held accountable and their insurance company should have no choice but to pay whatever it takes to fully restore the bridge. I don't know how much insurance truckers or their employers are required to have, but considering the damage that trucks can do, and the expense of certain kinds of cargo, I'd be surprised if the insurance is inadequate in this case. If the insurance is inadequate or if the insurance company successfully evades any requirement to pay (the insurance company WILL try to weasel out of this because it's what they always try to do), then the bridge owner needs to take the whole lot of them to court.
3. Thank goodness the bridge didn't collapse. The load limit was clearly posted as 5 tons, which is far less than the weight of even an empty semi-truck rig. For the driver to think it was okay to cross here was just beyond sheer stupidity. And you are right about the stupidity factor regarding the overhead clearance too.
4. Here in the Upper Midwest, there are various places where old iron bridges are still in place. TH-cam usually deletes any comment that contains a link, so I won't post the applicable link for an article about an ancient iron bridge over the Upper Iowa River in northeast Iowa, which a semi-truck driver thought he could cross because he was following his GPS instead of making sensible decisions about route planning. The bridge was only one lane wide, and it was on as much of a "back road" as you could ever find. The truck was a semi- with a loaded grain trailer, and the weight was reported to be 30 tons, and the bridge's weight limit was posted at 3 tons! For those that want to see pictures of the result of this example of truck-driver stupidity, type the following search words: "bridge" "Upper Iowa River" "collapse", and look for an article from *The Des Moines Register*.
👍👍👍👍
Look up Bayswater Bridge, Perth Western Australia built in 1910, check out how many dumb truck drivers have written off their trucks over the past 60+yrs, it was a regular occurrence, with at least 2-3 dumb truck drivers per year wedging their truck under this low bridge, 10 incidents in 2021, something like 16 in 2019 etc.
On google there is a calendar 'how many days since the Bayswater Bridge was last hit' with a truck wedgie😂
Just recently, within the last year or so, I remember hearing something about the bridge being removed altogether, or to be rebuilt up from 3.8M to 4.8M along with local rail network upgrades, due to them being sick of all the truck wedgies over the years🤣👍
We had a covered bridge in our area in Willamette Valley, Oregon that was damaged by a farm implements service truck that had not lowered its crane. The implement dealer and their insurance company paid for the rebuilding. There is a local wooden bridge construction company that repairs many of the covered bridges in the area.
We have quite a few of these old bridges here in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, some dating back to the 1830's. Most are still open to traffic today, and in amazing condition.
I've seen historic buildings torn down by the city council of PASADENA, TEXAS!!! Their stupidity is beyond hope!
We all have a right to rant.
Hope it gets fixed correctly. Thanks, Mr Pete
Every time I would go to Princeton for the gun show , The Bridge was one of the stops I would make. , I can't type the words that I would like to say but the driver should be looking at a large part of the bill along with the company that he worked for . We may be able to fix STUPID BUT we should make it hard for the person to forget. Thank you for posting this as I missed it when it was new, Take care and till we meet again.
Have you ever driven through the much more modern covered bridge on the west side of Princeton?
@@mrpete222 No I have not, I didn't know there was one to the west. I have always came into town from the east or the north side of town. will check into it the next time I am down that way. Thanks for the info.
It is called the Captain swift bridge. Google it. There is no way you will find it without Google maps. That’s a good thing, then maybe the truck drivers won’t go through it.
some local filth burned down a beauty here in Ada Michigan a few yrs back. IF you saw the film Bridges of Madison County... Someone burned down a lot of those old bridges after the movie came out. At least there is something left to work on here.
That is very sad, I love that movie. This bridge had a sprinkler system,
I live near Waupaca, WI, and there are two covered bridges. One in town behind Taco Bell, and one just out of town by the old Red Mill. The one behind Taco Bell can still be crossed by passenger cars, but the one by the Red Mill is foot traffic only and still has the old Toll sign up with what they charged to cross it. They charged to walk across, ride a horse across, or pull a horse buggy or wagon across. It leads up to a small old chapel, and there are lots of weddings between the bridge and chapel. Luckily, there is no way to drive up to it. Walking is now the only way.
I hope they get the repairs on the one there completed and are able to salvage it.
Absolutely ... Rant on Mr Pete ... Accidents do happen ... But something like this is deliberate carelessness. I hope it gets repaired properly.
I drove for CRST back in 1978, we stopped at the Shelly’s off the highway, great folks etc. Start at the top and go on down the line ; DMV, for issuing a license, the Company he works for, finally the driver, who is ultimately responsible for reading all the signs and obeying them. I hauled Jeeps outta Toledo to Chicago, ill, Ind, Oh, Mich , and many places with 13’6” AND shorter clearance. Backed out of many until I learned my lesson. When in doubt don’t!!!!
Ran OTR in the 80s so I had to search for the news article. Found it. Driver was a she...
We lost a nearby bridge when a USPS semi driver took a joy ride and tried a new route. A modern bridge replaced the completely collapsed bridge.
Your loss and our loss are sad days.
Mr.Pete, I grew up in Princeton and have many memories of the bridge. We also have photos at the bridge when one of my sisters got married... She and her husband were in our neighbors antique car and I had mine. A handful of years back, my daughter and her best friend were taking a photography class in college. The professor wanted landscapes and cityscapes for their final project, and warned the students "I don't want the typical stuff from around here." - We headed to Princeton and took tons of photos, including many at the Red Covered Bridge and the city county park. A few years after that, our youngest was taking photography in high school, and off to Princeton we went. NOBODY in either class, had anything comparable to the sights and history that they captured.
Getting back to the damage to the bridge, you may have noticed the height limit signs on the bridge. These were added a few years ago, when a driver from California, ignored the ones along the roadway, and drove his truck into the bridge. That driver stopped in the bridge, it was repaired/restored, and the aforementioned signage was put on the faces of the bridge (pissing MANY people off). My personal opinion was there should have been posts installed on either side, a ways back, with a bar or height chain going across (like you see at many businesses with drive-thru service.).
Anyway the current damage occurred in November of 2023 and the driver worked for a company in the Chicagoland area (I wont' mention the name, but they shutdown their website, social media accounts, and phones for a while after this, because of the hate they were receiving). For whatever reason, she not only drove into the bridge, but continued to go all the way through, and there is NO WAY she didn't know that she was damaging things. The top of the cab and sleeper were damaged and the trailer was torn apart and peeled back, end to end. I had come up to Princeton that day to visit my parents, and had plans to go out and take photos of the bridge before heading home, as I love photography and astrophotography.
As you and your friend noticed, there has been some work done to shore up and support the roof. I was glad to see this, and it certainly was necessary to limit further damage, especially with the winter approaching, and the weight of a heavy wet snow could have caused a collapse.
I know the driver lost her job and companies insurance will payout for the repairs, and it is very likely they will non-renew with the company, which will mean they have to find a new commercial carrier for insurance, and that is going to cost them dearly. I haven't seen anything specifically stating that the driver received any tickets for this, but I would hope she did, and that she loses her CDL for it. In addition, if that happens, she should be entered into the NDR system, so that she cannot get a CDL expect in the 5 states that do not participate in/use the NDR system.
👍👍👍
So sad , but they made great progress restoring it.. hopefully you may drive over it again soon.
They have a covered Bridge in Long Grove , here near Chicago, it too was heavily damaged by a truck and they rebuilt it. They have the road well marked out to keep trucks off it, but its constantly being hit at least 50 times in the last few years. Fortunately they put in a steel beam to protect the bridge and it has stopped these trucks.
That is sad I come from Mass and had a ton of them bridges so I can appreciate them so much and completely understand anger. I never saw that one in IL even though i was living in IL for a few years.
We have an Illinois river here in Oregon. Its a designated wild and scenic river, so no trucks or covered bridges. There is one, 60 foot high steel cable foot bridge on the river.... 1963 is slowly becoming historical...... me too (1957) 😁
Too bad about the bridge. I hope it can be saved.
How do you drive up upon a structure like that in a semi and think you should proceed? I live in New England, and we are always having the old low railroad overpasses hit. It is usually a French-Canadian truck driver I guess 11' 6" doesn't translate. Such a shame on your bridge hope they can repair it.
Your rant is justified. There's no accountability any more and it's a big problem with society. That driver NEEDS to lose her privileges.
Her
Corrected
Your rant is appropriate, coming from a trucker, we have several idiots in the industry that I have to question who they paid off to get their CDL if they have one and who did they smooth talk to letting them plant their butt in the seat and yeah they should be held 100% accountable for damages to the bridge and surrounding area
It really seems that the trucking industry is on a race to the bottom
Mr Pete, it's the same everywhere. I'm in the Netherlands and I'm my just over 30 years I've seen so many farms that were hundreds of years old being demolished and the most ugly houses (modern from a folder) return. It's devastating to me..
WOW! I sure hope they caught the person that did this and identified the company he worked for. Time to call Morgan & Morgan!!!! . Your rant and anger are justified.
We have almost 30 covered bridges in Lancaster County PA so at least once a year someone tries to run a 13' tall trailer through an 11' covered bridge. The oldest bridge in the county was torn up badly last November. Around here they repair/rebuild them. Sadly it happens enough that there are still builders that know how to repair them.
Here in Melbourne, Australia we have a lot of older bridges with lower clearances and trucks have been hitting them and continue to do so. However the majority of bridges with lower clearances have been protected by steel and concrete beams placed on abutment protection columns and secured with heavy chains to prevent the beams from falling following a impact. The beams still get hit from time to time and there is a classic bridge in South Melbourne that even has extra warning devices but still gets hit. It actually ripped the roof off a large Goldfields tour bus a few years ago. The bridge even has it's own website.
Mark from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺
👍👍👍
Did they demolish the whole thing after your visit? It didn't look like the main structure was heavily damaged. A bridge in mid Pennsylvania was just rebuilt. It was completely taken apart, repaired and reconstructed. Taking it down would be a crying shame. There are many tomber framing craftsman out there that would gladly help repair it.
My visit was only three days ago
We have a similar 100 plus year old bridge here in Little Gap Pa that has been damaged more times than I can remember. They even put up steel I beams on the approach to no avail. Our bridge uses naturally curved beams. It took months to locate suitable replacements
As for the driver he/she should have their license suspended and be required to pay for the repairs. 🤬
There’s a famous low underpass that got hit every week despite great signage warning of the height limit. So the city put up a bar at that height in front of it. No the bar AND the underpass both get it…because there’s no intelligence test to acquire a driver’s license
So true. I would often tell my brother, that you needto take an IQ test to get a license. A minimum of 95. Currently, anyone with good eyesight, and a pulse is allowed to drive.
They rent trucks to the public. Years ago I was helping my cousin move just after he got back from Vietnam. I was 12 and read everything about the truck we were in particularly the height. We were heading straight to a 12 foot underpass with our 12 foot 4 inch truck. I was riding shotgun and paying attention so impact avoided. Lots of amateurs out there, lots of accidents waiting to happen.
excellent, that’s a pretty amazing story from a 12 year old
Shout out from Texas! I have been fascinated with covered bridges ever since the first time I saw one (in a movie *there are no covered bridges in Texas😂). When I saw this video popped up in my feed, I was sick. HOWEVER (even though the damage to the roof covering was quite extensive), if the support structure is unharmed, then the covering should be fairly straightforward to repair or replace. I imagine that it will be returned to its original glory. I bet it was some idiot in a rental truck...
"64-year-old woman from Alabama, told police that she missed her turn and was rerouted by GPS to the bridge, which is just north of an industrial park near Route 26 and Interstate 80.....She worked for Wynn Logistics in Vernon Hills." She was fired from her job as a truck driver. Should have her CDL revoked. Wynn Logistics should pay to have all the repairs done through their insurance.
Is this the same bridge that Mr. Pete described or a different one? Please clarify.
Thanks for the info. Still wonder how anyone could be soooo stupid. Need strong clearance bar 100' away to rip roof off.
@@ellieprice363 same bridge
Angry Mr Pete is even better than caffeinated Mr Pete. A person has to be incredibly careless and lacking all common sense to do something like this. I am also a pretty big history buff, this sort of thing really just makes me sad. We need to be protecting our history, now days more than ever.
In Pa. we had this also happen . They held the driver and his company liable for replacement of a new cover bridge like the one they hit. The job done is a good one the bridge is as good as the one they damaged.
👍
It saddens me to see these old covered bridges and majestic old barns being destroyed and left to rot.
Agreed, rant on, it's ok to be vehemently upset...... There's just no accounting for stupidity and inattention.....
As a civil war buff from the south (TN) I share your pain. Seeing this bridge for the first time I’m amazed that a semi truck would be allowed to pass over it. Sad, the company should be liable for damages.
The photos of the bridge scene just after the accident were the most shocking!
Rant completely justified Lyle!
Obviously the truck driver, his employer and his insurance company are going to have to foot the bill. Not Negotiable!
Public service punishment as well as resitting his CDL, with particular emphasis on just how to go about measuring truck and load dimensions.
Mark from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺
Maybe they need to put a steel frame on each side of the bridge as a gentle reminder of the size limitations.
The covered part of these bridges is intended to protect the bridge itself from the effects of the elements. It looks like this can be repaired though it’s gonna cost some money.
Lyle, this is just blatant stupidity. I'm familiar with that bridge! I certainly hope the PD found the responsible driver, or they had the balls to come forward and admit what they did. Yeah...... good luck with that-- I'd be very surprised. Insurance company should be made to pay the entire cost, and the dummy driver should put a brand new coat of paint on it himself......
Got one here in Berks County, PA that this has happened to numerous times. Simple carelessness on the part of the drivers who do this kind of thing.
The interior engineering on these bridges is spectacular. You must remember that they were usually built in very rural areas without the use of advanced tools.
Yes, I really wanted to show more of the trusses and beams and how the thing is actually built. But only one in 1000 people would be interested in that.
@@mrpete222 I recently saw a bridge in Vermont (Florence) and in New York State (in Buskirk) and just couldn't get enough of them The interiors were awesome in their structural order.
Ugh! That is infuriating. Glad to see there are repairs underway instead of demolishing the whole structure. I hope the driver had good insurance cause they need to cover all the damages.
Same type of incident here in Preble County, Ohio (southwest part of the state that butts up to the Indiana line) when a "lost" Semi-truck (Kroger Foods) plowed into the Brubaker covered bridge (1887) causing so much damage in August 2022.
Thankfully, the County Commissioners took immediate action and just yesterday, our lical news reported the bridge is repaired and open for business. My life partner and I began exploring covered bridges during Covid since she lives in a part of Indiana that is considered the "Covered Bridge Capital of the World" and as of today, we have visited/photographed a total of 87 bridges in 4 states.
At 72 years of age myself, we plan to hit at least a total of 100 bridges by the end of this summer.
Appreciate the history!
👍👍👍
Your anger is completely justified. When I first heard of this happening I just shook my head thinking about the type of driver that would be that dumb to do such a thing. I’ve met plenty that would fit the bill. We call them steering wheel holders. Hopefully it gets correctly repaired soon.
My 3X-great-grand dad’s brother-in-law listed his occupation as “bridge builder” on the census at the time this bridge was being built. He lived a few miles east of the bridge so I assume he worked on it. He also married my 3X-great-grand ma after they were both widowed but that’s another story. We spent a few days in Princeton in 2021 and I seem to remember a story about a truck damaging the bridge then. If they would have used the sprinkler pipe to make gates a hundred feet before the bridge it might have been a better use of resources.
That’s a very interesting story. That your great great great grandpa was a carpenter that worked on that bridge. Did you know that there is another covered bridge near Princeton. But it’s only about 20 years old, but still beautiful.
this same thing happened in south eastern PA a few years back. idiot was following google maps in his semi. didn't bother to read the signs and made a mess of a newly restored bridge. I understand his company got the bill for a second restoration.
Well past time to add a height bar across the road that vehicles must pass through before getting to the bridge. Like you see at the airport or drive-through bank lane.
I agree about your excellent non rant. That was thought out first about what to say. Hopefully it will be fixed and put back into service and glad you ignored the barracades!
There is a famous bridge in Durham NC that has flashing lights, and signs warning of the 11'8" bridge that has been nicknamed, The Canopener. It's a train crossing, too close to the station to raise the bridge, and a sewer line right under it, so they can't lower the road. This was all built at a time when 11'8 was a huge truck, and now it's not. They have cameras pointed so we can watch people hit the bridge, but nothing hurt that bridge, it's tough. They have raised it to 12'4", but if you go a few blocks south, you can drive over the tracks, instead of under.
In Vermont we have one that got hit 3 or 4 times, they put a steel tattle tale up to tear up the truck before they hit the bridge.
I live in Shenandoah County, Virginia and we have had the same problem with our covered bridge. Luckily ours has been able to be repaired.
I can almost bet the truck driver doesnt speak English.Thats why he disregarded the sign.
"Ah,me no a espeak a Inglis"
I’m a photographer and it’s that part of me that was shocked and saddened by the destruction of such a beautiful bridge. It’s good that repairs were made, even though it isn’t, and never will be, the same. ☹️☹️
I crossed that bridge my children crossed that bridge we lived on a farm just 4 miles from that bridge. Fished under that bridge and all up and down Bureau creek
😂😂😂
The good news is that the support structure of the bridge was not compromised. It was only the roof that was really damaged, and, in all reality, it only served to secure the side-to-side movement of the tops of the trusses.
I can only hope that the driver was insured and the insurance company covers the cost of repair. in these days that is assuming a lot...
the driver if working for a company should have been fired on the spot. the town should install a steel height barrier on both sides to protect the bridge. we need to protect our history from future bad decisions at all cost...
WOW! That is sickening.... they need to think about making that bridge for foot traffic only...
Thank you for the colorful documentary,I cant believe the stupidity of people.
I’m from Springfield and remember back in the 70s they had covered bridge festivals and maps so you could take a tour of all the bridges in the area. In fact, the one near my high school in Chatham Illinois was set aside for historic purposes and they built the road around it so this cannot happen.. So sad.
We had a similar situation about a year ago outside of a small town in Ohio called Gratis. The truck driver and trucking company are Mexican. The main route was closed for road construction but there was a detour. The driver used a GPS to try to shortcut the detour. He could not read English so he didn’t know that he was over height. Fortunately he only got about 5 feet into the bridge before he got stuck and they had to get a tow truck to drag him out. He did receive a citation and the trucking company’s insurance is paying the repair bills. There has been an idea floated to put up clearance bars on front of all historic bridges but it will probably not go anywhere because it takes money and none of it would be going into a politician’s pocket.
What a shame! People are so careless.
We have 3 covered bridges in the Maryland county I grew up in. Built in the 1850s or so. Someone burned one up by parking a truck in it then lighting it on fire. Bridge got rebuilt and the Two jokers went to prison. Rant-on, man. Needs to said!
😄😄
Beautiful bridge 😍 absolutely NO vehicles should have been allowed to travel through the bridge 😠 it should only be for walking 🥰 it needs some cement barricades in front of the entrances so you can't drive in it 😠
Yes