A pair of out-of-state moving trucks caused significant but non-structural damage to a covered bridge in Lyndon Sunday, September , local and social media reports say.
According to the Caledonian-Record, and as confirmed by video posted on YouTube, a Penske moving truck tried to cross the Rte. covered bridge, only to to have the box stuck. The truck stopped momentarily, then proceeded – causing facia boards to come. A couple of hours later, another Penske truck emerged from the other direction. It, too, was stuck and caused even more fascia board to fall to the roadway as it passed through. A second Penske truck then approaches the bridge but backs up and takes another route.
The Caledonian-Record reports that Lyndonville police located both drivers at the Colonnade, a local motel, that afternoon and fined them both $5000. The trucks reportedly had Indiana license plates.
The actio was caught on nearby surveillance video and published on the Covered Bridge Accidents YouTube channel, which has other postings of vehicular collisions at that bridge and others. It also has footage of a man apparently jumping out of a truck onto the deck of the bridge, also on Sunday, September 24. Lyndonville PD reportedly investigated that incident as well.
This report lacks information and forces the reader to make assumptions. What did the police report actually determine? The registration of a rental truck doesn’t indicate where it came from, just look at the plates at a Uhaul dealer. Were those drivers paid professionals? I don’t think that size truck requires a CDL. The drivers could have been friends helping to make a move.
As an additional note , I didn’t see a sign indicating clearance and/or weight restriction for the bridge. Standard practice is to have it posted on the bridge.
So no blood no foul?
Simple solution
Put solid steel beam across both entrance’s to bridge the same height as the bridge A few feet in front and that should stop the trucks abruptly
I love that old bridge. So glad it is still there after all the the use and abuse.
Covered bridges are a Vermont staple. The real problem is that they are probably using regular GPS on their phones. Anyone driving or pulling anything like a box truck or bigger would benefit from a RV GPS. We have a crew cab dually and a 30′ powerboat. We are 70ft long and the boats max height is 18ft high from the ground. The RV GPS allows us to enter in our length and height and avoids too low bridges and too tight turns. Saves alot of headaches.
I smell a conspiracy……
There are not enough safeguards from preventing trucks that do not fit under the entry and exit sheathing and roof truss heights (or weight for that matter). Signage…
My contention is that the same truck came back across later, approximately 2 and half hours later, and they needed an additional truck for “stuff”. No real discerning marking on truck besides it’s license plate, which can’t be made out on the video…
The first guy who got out of his vehicle may have wanted to catch up to that truck and get the license plate and note date and time of day. It’s up to everyone of us to take action, even for safeguarding our covered bridges. It seems that a steel structure needs to be placed before and after the bridge at the correct acceptable height that can cross. What an ugly thing that would be- guess you could dress it up and make it attractive, otherwise this will keep happening.