Squish: truck slams into rail bridge
PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER
PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER
A lost driver trying to avoid hitting a road-painting crew and staring at his GPS device slammed a printing company's panel truck into a railroad bridge, blocking 4th Street SE for at least an hour Wednesday afternoon.
"I'm not from here," explained the driver, declining to give his name.
"When I looked up, it was too late. I hit the brake; it was too late–- it hooked me under there."
"There" was the Buckingham Branch/CSX rail bridge which stands just nine feet, two inches above the pavement, according to the yellow sign warning sign. That wasn't high enough for the box truck from Forest-based Seckman Printing.
"I guess GPS can't determine," said the frustrated driver, "if there's a bridge there I can't get under."
Investigating officer B.A. Kirby, citing Charlottesville Police Department policy, said he was not at liberty to discuss the case.
18 comments
I think I know what was distracting him. You see, he wanted to warn her about the bricks.
Wow - since he's not from around here, shouldn't the city do something to warn him, like put a big yellow sign in front of him to warn him that the clearance is only 9'2"?
The city could prevent a majority of these bridge mishaps if they would in addition to the signs print LOW BRIDGE in big yellow letters on the roadway about 75 to 100 feet before a low bridge. Especially at the 14th Street bridge where most truck vs bridge mishaps take place. But the big orange V letters in the roadway for UVA took priority I suppose.
35 years ago they had a proposal to hang a cable across the road with orange balls on it at the same height as the bridge about 100 feet ahead so they have time to stop.
I bet if a propane truck blew up there they would rethink the cable idea
Decades? That street had only been one-way for a little while. It was two-way for decades before being changed when they opened the new second crossing on the mall.
Hmm, I've lived in this town for two decades, and my memory is that the thing was one way until very recently. Maybe we just ask Huja, whaddya think?--Hawes Spencer, Hook editor
I recall it being one-way for a long time as well.
It doesn't matter what signage they put on the shoulder, bridge, or roadway if the driver is playing with his GPS while driving.
It spent at least the past decade being a two way street, until about a year ago when the mall street was opened.
Back in July they went back to a 2 way underpass. Everyone used it as a 2 way street whenever a train had the other two crossings blocked.
I would estimate a "wedgie" occurs once/week. After the bumping of the tracks the cops typically deflate the tires if the truck to allow easy withdrawl.
Why pick on a driver that has the skills of a standard Virginia driver?
Wow...I've seen plenty of scrapes and a few RVs lose AC units to the 14th Street bridge, but I've never seen anyone with a vehicle that looks at least two feet too high slam into the bridge downtown. Cheers to the superior skills of the driver.
quote: "I’ve never seen anyone with a vehicle that looks at least two feet too high slam into the bridge downtown."
The truck wasn't two feet too high.
The bridge was 2 feet too low. :)
Geez..look at the picture.....big yellow sign hanging off the overpass stating 9'2"...ââ?¬Å?When I looked up, it was too late. I hit the brake; it was too lateââ?¬â? it hooked me under there.” lol sounds like he was preoccupied with something else....thats a narrow short street.. That one is on him......
and why in the hell are we even discussing something so obvious and stupid here?...Sick of The Local Rambos....waiting for you to say that this is the police department's fault...
Thank you The Hook for being the local National Enquirer..you will receive the same respect..great news...you are a joke...lol
I usually disagree with Waldo on issues, but at least he posts issues worthy of discussion on his site.
quote: "Sick of The Local Rambos”Š.waiting for you to say that this is the police department’s fault”Š"
Golfer, it was the police department's fault. If they had to be there anyway to work the accident, why couldn't they have been there 10 minutes earlier and prevented the accident?
Feel better now? :)
This might not have been an accident, but rather a failed attempt at domestic terrorism. Someone should press the authorities to find out more about this "Seckman Printing" and their political agenda. We can never be too careful about these things. After all, think of the cost of not acting.
I'm local and I hit that bridge all the time, so I fully understand this happening if this guy is "not from here". I am actually writing this response right now on my iPhone while driving my box truck.
who's the hottie in the green???
who's the hottie in the green???