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

  • Wood you ride these? The Igorot tribe in the Philippines do
    June 22, 2015
    Wood you ride these? The Igorot tribe in the Philippines do Possibly the most eco-friendly bicycle is to be found in the Philippines, and they race them once a year, reaching speeds of nearly 40kph downhill – with no brakes. The bicycles are made entirely of wood, but the beauty is in the carving. Each cycle is a unique ornate cycle – hand-carved by its owner, a member of the Igorot tribe. The cycle race gathering is held in the town of Batad in the mountains of Luzon, the Philippines largest and m
  • Sophisticated camera system
    January 6, 2017
    Paris-based Arcure has developed the sophisticated Blaxtair safety camera system for use with off-highway equipment to reduce risks for site personnel. This camera helps detect obstacles, locate them precisely and identify them. Highly sophisticated, the Blaxtair unit can distinguish pedestrians from other objects in real time. When a pedestrian is detected in the danger zone, Blaxtair emits a sonic alarm to the driver that increases with the imminence of the danger. A control screen in the cabin allows the
  • Sophisticated camera system
    January 28, 2013
    Paris-based Arcure has developed the sophisticated Blaxtair safety camera system for use with off-highway equipment to reduce risks for site personnel. This camera helps detect obstacles, locate them precisely and identify them. Highly sophisticated, the Blaxtair unit can distinguish pedestrians from other objects in real time. When a pedestrian is detected in the danger zone, Blaxtair emits a sonic alarm to the driver that increases with the imminence of the danger. A control screen in the cabin allows the
  • Nylacast’s Bigfoot spreads the load at INTERMAT
    January 6, 2017
    Putting his best foot forward: Nylacast marketing executive Junaid Makda shows off the company’s new Bigfoot spreader plates. Made from Nylon, which is 1.6 times stronger than polyethylene, they come in 500 to 1,220mm sizes. An anti-slip coating is applied to the top surface and the customer’s name can be etched into each pad along with a serial number and contact details.