Truck strikes railroad bridge in downtown Ann Arbor
A damaged Coca-Cola trailer is seen hitched to a tow truck on West Washington Street near First St. after the semi driver collided with a railroad bridge on Wednesday, May 29, 2013.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
A Coca Cola truck was two feet too tall for a downtown Ann Arbor railroad bridge Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
The semi collided with the bridge over West Washington Street near First Street just before 1:42 p.m., but the driver was not injured, Ann Arbor police Sgt. Mauro Cervantes said.
The bridge's clearance is 10 feet, 6 inches. The truck was 12 feet six inches tall, Cervantes said.
“The driver claimed he didn’t see the sign,” Cervantes said. "He was cited."
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
At 4:30 p.m., Cervantes said wreckers were still working to tow the truck's trailer.
"It did have significant damage,” he said.
A Triangle Towing worker at the scene said similar accidents have happened several times in the past.
View Railroad bridge in a larger map
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
jns131
Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 2:14 a.m.
What was he thinking? Even school buses avoid that area. They too are too tall to under that thing. Wow. Glad no one or train was inured. A Coca Cola truck eh? Dum Dum got gum gum?
Wystan Stevens
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:25 p.m.
Links to a bunch of photos of truck attacks on Ann Arbor's Washington Street railroad overpass are recorded here, on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36101699212@N01/13710339/in/photolist-2dgBa-2C2Yc-rR1tL-rZ752-A5FGZ-56rHHB-56vTAo-5YBp5P-5YFDUy-6aKBhQ-6aRgri-b1RB2M-cipvK1-efDcvX-9UDN68-e24gcB-e29Tvq-e29Smj-e29SzY-e24gUv-8dPQJR. Or google Flickr Ann Arbor and search there for "10' 7".
mady
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 1:45 p.m.
Hi Wystan, maybe that's what the Bridge Gnomes were trying to do all along(joke!). Maybe they were going after the trucks and stomping the bridge down was a handy way of nailing the trucks(another joke, probably not all that funny). take care! Madeleine, a.k.a. Mady
smb
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 5:57 p.m.
I bet he saw SAES spray painted on the bridge and thought it meant "Safe Always Even Semis."
Kellie Woodhouse
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 4:26 p.m.
I was on site talking to the towers and an officer present and both said that this kind of thing happens more than you'd think with this particular bridge. I think if does happen that much it would make sense to also add a "LOW CLEARANCE" warning or something.
Peregrine
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 4:12 p.m.
These types of accidents are far too common. People who rent a panel truck for a move do it. Even professional truck drivers do it. They have what seems to be a solution in Australia: http://tinyurl.com/b6tzgfx I doubt it's inexpensive, though.
Bob W
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:06 p.m.
It's a pony plate girder bridge and was built in 1903. Pretty much settles this issue of "is it up to current code." Seems to me signage and more attention on the part of drivers is a better solution.
Woman in Ypsilanti
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 2:27 p.m.
I know a lot of people think we should lower the road or raise the bridge but those options seem quite expensive. How about a "no trucks" sign. There isn't even a reason for trucks to drive on that block anyways.
Cory C
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 2:08 p.m.
Austrailia comes to the rescue with the Waterfall Stop Sign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoTMC-uxJoo&feature=youtu.be&t=50s If the truck is too tall, it triggers a waterfall to turn on, and projects a giant "STOP" on it. If the truck continues to drive through the waterfall, he's an idiot. Impossible to ignore, and stops the problem. But it's too expensive for this location I'm sure.
Harry Hunter
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:55 p.m.
I have always wondered why they don't hang a warning bar over the road some yards before the bridge? Something a truck would hit before it het the bridge
Hot Sam
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:24 p.m.
This usually happens with rental trucks...not often a "pro"....
jmac
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:39 p.m.
Guess who's not driving the Coke truck anymore??
John of Saline
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 2:17 p.m.
Wonder if Pepsi's hiring.
David Frye
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:55 a.m.
I'd like to know whether the driver was following a route plotted by gps or smart phone. I often see huge semi trucks in this neighborhood driving completely inappropriate routes, squeezing their huge loads between parked cars, making dangerous turns, and generally looking lost. Honestly, if you're driving a semi around here you must have come from somewhere else and be going somewhere else, which means that you have no need to drive down residential streets (there are no grocery stores or gas stations on West Washington).
jns131
Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 2:16 a.m.
A coca cola truck making a residential delivery? I'd love to see that homeowners tab.
hepcat
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:09 p.m.
Sometimes trucks do make deliveries in residential areas, David.
worldchamp
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:38 a.m.
Years ago in Pontiac on Orchard Lake Rd. just west of Wide Track there was a low bridge. A block or two before the bridge they had something similar to a tennis ball that would hit a vehicle in the driver's side window
Sooze
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:51 a.m.
Or rumble strips on the approach to places where there have been accidents.
jcj
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:28 a.m.
These truck drivers of this kind usually have particular routes. Not normally that far away. Maybe it was a new driver.
GoNavy
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:11 a.m.
Two feet too high eh? Nice.
handywolf
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 2:33 a.m.
many years ago when i was much younger and sleep deprived i almost did the same thing with a rented u-haul. but i read signs - on the dash board was one number and on the bridge was a lower one. the reason there are height numbers on bridges is that not all trucks will fit. drive aware or don't drive at all.
BernieP
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 2:31 a.m.
Inform the railroad.
jns131
Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 2:17 a.m.
No, they have to catch up to the coca cola truck to refill their machines.
MIKE
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 4:20 p.m.
Why, are they going to start delivering to supermarkets?
Fat Bill
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 2:23 a.m.
The best one I've seen was an empty "pods" truck about 5 or 6 years ago. Front legs bent over...back legs held and levered the front of the truck 8 feet off the ground. Same spot. A careful observer can usually find evidence of several truck strikes in the stout iron work of that old bridge. The laws of physics are never broken...
Sooze
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:50 a.m.
Semis are often lost in this town and get into the wrong places. Probably the xway bridge near Seattle was strong too but trucks running into bridges are destroying or at least weakening our national store of antiquated bridges. Several freight trains for 80+ years (just guessing) on this old A2 bridge have already begun the weakening process. No more hits!
Linda Peck
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 2:13 a.m.
Looks like the bridge came out of it okay, no damage mentioned. It is probably made of strong material and that is why it withstands all these crashes. It is obviously a very fine bridge. I would prefer semis not drive in the downtown area if possible. There are other roundabout safe roads, aren't there? Use smaller trucks for in town.
dougfair
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 2:36 a.m.
"Use smaller trucks for in town." That would require unloading goods from large OTR semis, reloading into (several?) smaller truck(s). That would cause delays and extra cost for delivering goods "in the downtown area".
tim
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:38 a.m.
Ahh - the ole smash the truck into the bridge trick, even city worker occasionally run into that bridge.
mady
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 7:28 p.m.
yeah. darn those Bridge Gnomes, keep stomping the bridge down so trucks run into it.......!
Usual Suspect
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:32 a.m.
"The driver claimed he didn't see the sign" When your truck is two feet taller than the bridge, you don't have to see the sign, you just have to see the bridge.
Davidian
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:47 a.m.
Good one lol
ChrisW
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:23 a.m.
The bridge is very low. A truck rental company in town had several photos of trucks that hit that bridge and another one. It never would have occurred to me that a "regular" rental truck wouldn't fit on major roads.
Thaddeus
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:09 a.m.
When the height difference between this full-size semi and the bridge is TWO FEET, sign or not any truck driver should have been able to determine that there was no way that truck was going to "squeeze" under that bridge....
teeters
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:47 a.m.
Ummm...why is a Coke truck driving down Washington? Is there a coke machine at the YMCA? If not, I want to know who loves Coke so much that they need a semi to deliver their supply.
teeters
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:47 a.m.
You mean semis don't deliver to homes? What? Must be delivering all that sugary goodness to those thirsty people who workout at the Y. The original comment was more of a joke. If you actually lived in A2 "Ypsi" then you would know that there are no grocery stores or gas stations anywhere near that bridge. There is absolutely no reason for that truck to be traveling down that part of Washington.
Homeland Conspiracy
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:40 a.m.
Me
ypsi
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:01 a.m.
These drivers deliver to stores that could be a grocery or gas station store.These take a lot of product.Plus they have to find room for the empty cans and bottles.They don't fill Coke machines.
cibachrome
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:40 a.m.
The bridge is not too low, the road is too high from regular paving and ignorance of the effect on traffic. Another form of inflation. Things don't always go better with Coke, I guess.
Brad
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:38 a.m.
Is there no "google maps" for truck drivers? No navigation apps that might factor in bridge heights? I know they are using smart phones because every time I pass one, that's what they seem to be staring at (in between bites of a sandwich).
hepcat
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:05 p.m.
A friend of mine called Gorman and asked just that. They charge 30K for them !
Tom Joad
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:30 a.m.
Must have been an out-of-towner
gladys
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:18 a.m.
How about a photo of the damaged bridge?
Fat Bill
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:44 a.m.
No real damage that I could see...some clean spots where the rust scraped off...bits of trailer roof stuck up in between....it's a pretty stout structure, definitely not built for aesthetics....
jusayin
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 11:41 p.m.
This happens often - way too often - same bridge. Raise the bridge or lower the road. DUH
Silly Sally
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:28 a.m.
"jusayin" Do YOU want to pay for such nonsense with yur tax dollars? I rather spend mine fixing bad roads and the drivers of big trucks can use other routes and/or learn how to read. Please write the check, just saying.
Brad
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:03 a.m.
Sure, let's spend a million or five to accommodate truck drivers that aren't paying attention. Get off the phone and drive!
a2tom
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 10:59 p.m.
I bet the driver saw that construction pictured in the above photo on First st and tried to avoid it by taking a right onto Washington.
John of Saline
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 9:39 p.m.
1. See website http://11foot8.com/ for a similar issue. Guy has captured many accidents on video at a particular rail bridge. 2. The city could place a bar at the same height as the bridge far enough away so that when IT is struck, it breaks away or otherwise indicates "problem" to the oblivious truck driver. Maybe it would activate bright lights around the clearance sign.
Usual Suspect
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:36 a.m.
I have an idea. They should put up a sign that tells people the clearance, so that if it's too small they won't try to go under the bridge.
jcj
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 10:29 p.m.
The bar would have to be on both sides.Then they would claim they didn't se or here the warnings. We have enough eyesores in town.
Brad
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 9:54 p.m.
I have an idea. How about the truck drivers pay attention?
Arbuckle
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 9:49 p.m.
This is a GREAT idea, and I would think relatively inexpensive. I seem to remember something similar happening along US-23 some years ago, I want to say it was either the Warren or Joy Road overpass just north of M-14. However, I believe the bridge was knocked out in that incident.
a2tom
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 9:30 p.m.
I propose a city sponsored plaque that is bolted to the facing next to the height sign and that is engraved with the name of each genius that pulls this feat off. I'd be much happier with my tax dollars going to that then the scrap metal they call art in front of city hall.
djm12652
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 5:48 p.m.
I thought plaque is a build-up in your arteries from too much crappy food? @a2tom...how about the badminton birdie in the new justice center? shor is a purty one!
A2comments
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 10:06 a.m.
Plaque is art work....
DonBee
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 9:10 p.m.
This is a regular event, has been as long as I can remember. The bridge is LOW by modern standards, the sign is clear and well placed. Drivers always claim they did not see the sign.
Homeland Conspiracy
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:37 a.m.
Maybe he was eating some HOT corn beef hash from Luca's Coney Island & burnt his mouth. And was in so much pain that he didn't see the sign
dading dont delete me bro
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 9:06 p.m.
"A Triangle Towing worker at the scene said similar accidents have happened several times in the past. " is the bridge height 'code' ?
Michigan Reader
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 2:13 a.m.
The question isn't when the road was built, the question is when was the railroad overpass built, and was it to code, or whatever regulations pertained to RR overpasses. I've forgotten, but there was a story in an Ann Arbor publication called the Ann Arbor Observer not long ago detailing the history of the Ann Arbor railroad. The history goes WAY back, I think to the 19th century, though that's not necessarily when the overpass was built. I made a deduction based on the fact that as far as the lack of height is concerned, the overpass hasn't deteriorated. This is different than, say, homes deteriorating because of neglect and posing a hazard, or blighted. As a side note, Harry Bennett's "castle" in Superior Township has hidden tunnels (it was built in the early 1930's) which aren't outlawed now because township code didn't address those kinds of issues in those days. So it's grandfathered in. You could go to You Tube an search for "Harry Bennett's Castle" for a video tour.
dading dont delete me bro
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:59 a.m.
ok smart michigan reader, so when was the road built?
Michigan Reader
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 9:13 p.m.
Even if it's not, I think it would be grandfathered in because it predates any code.
Michigan Reader
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 8:57 p.m.
There was a truck that got stuck under the bridge because of a lack of clearance; someone freed it by letting some of the air out of the tires to drop the overall height of the truck.
KathrynHahn
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 8:01 a.m.
That was an "episode" of the "Encyclopedia Brown" child detective stories from my childhood!
Ann English
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 11:29 p.m.
That was one of the puzzles for children to figure out in an edition of Children's Digest decades ago. But that truck was only about two inches too tall for the underpass, so letting some air out of the tires, driving through, and filling the tires up again was possible. But letting out enough air so that a vehicle can be lowered by two feet? How big do the tires have to be for that to happen, if not the size of tractor tires?
dading dont delete me bro
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 9:06 p.m.
genius!