Skip to main content

Canada: dump truck slams into bridge, partially demolishing it

In Canada, the driver of a dump truck that slammed into a pedestrian bridge, partially collapsing it on to road below, may have to pay for his mistake. Highway 132 in a suburb of Montreal was closed overnight while a demolition crew hastily tore down the remaining section of walkway over the road. Police are questioning the driver of the snow-removal dump truck who reportedly was travelling down the highway with his dumper raised, hitting the bridge which was built in 1979 and had recently undergone a US$
February 12, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

In Canada, the driver of a dump truck that slammed into a pedestrian bridge, partially collapsing it on to road below, may have to pay for his mistake.

Highway 132 in a suburb of Montreal was closed overnight while a demolition crew hastily tore down the remaining section of walkway over the road.

Police are questioning the driver of the snow-removal dump truck who reportedly was travelling down the highway with his dumper raised, hitting the bridge which was built in 1979 and had recently undergone a US$2.5 million renovation.

The provincial transport minister said he will be asking questions about who pays for the damages, saying in an interview there was nothing structurally wrong with the bridge and it was not meant to withstand vehicles slamming into it.

No one was seriously injured in the incident but the truck driver and the driver of a passing car that couldn’t avoid the rubble were taken to hospital and treated for shock, according to a report by the %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Visit longueuil pedestrian overpass who will foot the bill to replace it Page false http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/longueuil-pedestrian-overpass-who-will-foot-the-bill-to-replace-it-1.2952967 false false%>.

But the Montreal incident comes only two weeks after a similar but fatal accident in another part of the province of Quebec.

He said a similar accident involving a raised payload occurred a few weeks ago at an overpass in the Gatineau area, near the Canadian capital Ottawa. The truck driver wasn't wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. The bridge remained open but the roads were briefly closed following the incident.

Related Content

  • World debut for Ruthmann’s T 720 truck-mounted platform
    April 17, 2013
    The newest addition to Ruthmann’s Height series offers flexible access in awkward situations thanks to its extended telescoping upper boom with moveable jib. Ruthmann’s Steiger T 720 truck-mounted access platform made its world debut at bauma. The model has a working height of up to 72m and maximum lateral reach of 38m. Its design means that operators still have 21.4m reach at their disposal at a working height of 68m and with a 100kg cage load.
  • VIDEO: Starlings play foul in the streets of Rome
    January 4, 2016
    It’s that time of year again when city authorities in the Italian capital regularly close down some of the more clogged city streets. But it’s not cars that are the problem. It’s bird excrement, by the tonne, from starlings that migrate from northern Europe to live in Rome during the less brutal winter. Cleaners are out in force in the more affected areas where recent rainfall has made the streets dangerously slippery for motorcycle and mopeds. Meanwhile, sidewalks have become treacherous for pedestrians
  • BLS Enterprises is offering new milling machine trackpads
    January 6, 2017
    Component specialist BLS Enterprises is offering a durable replacement track pad for use on Wirtgen milling machines. President Barry Stoughton said, “We have a direct replacement for the EPS system.” He said that this two part pad system allows the pad to bolt directly onto the track. Long life and durability are claimed, as well as ease of replacement.
  • BLS Enterprises is offering new milling machine trackpads
    April 11, 2013
    Component specialist BLS Enterprises is offering a durable replacement track pad for use on Wirtgen milling machines. President Barry Stoughton said, “We have a direct replacement for the EPS system.” He said that this two part pad system allows the pad to bolt directly onto the track. Long life and durability are claimed, as well as ease of replacement.