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

  • More efficient ground stabilisation with the Allu 3D Positioning System
    April 19, 2013
    The Allu 3D Positioning System will make ground stabilisation works more efficient and more cost-effective, according to the Finnish manufacturer. The GPS-guided system works in conjunction with Allu’s PMX mixing head, which is mounted on an excavator. It is made up from four modules – computer unit with software, touch screen, base station and GPS antennas positioned on the mixing unit. Often used in road construction to firm up soft ground, the ground stabilisation process sees the binder material fed in
  • IRF calling for road safety presentations for Saudi Arabia and Washington DC events
    October 12, 2015
    The International Road Federation (IRF) is calling for presentations on road safety for events in Saudi Arabia and Washington DC. These presentations should be on Roadside Safety, Work Zone Safety and Vulnerable User Safety. They will be made at the IRF Middle East Regional Congress in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from December 15th to December 17th, 2015.
  • Terex president and CEO Ron De Feo delivers upbeat results at Conexpo 2014
    January 6, 2017
    Terex president and CEO Ron De Feo was in an upbeat mood at the manufacturer’s Conexpo press conference this week saying “2013 was a year of pretty substantial improvement for our company.” In the second half of last year, Terex saw revenues grow by 6.1% with the figure for the whole year up by 1.5%. The aerial work platform (AWP) and materials handling and port solutions (MHPS) divisions led the improvement in the second half, said De Feo.
  • Terex president and CEO Ron De Feo delivers upbeat results at Conexpo 2014
    March 6, 2014
    Terex president and CEO Ron De Feo was in an upbeat mood at the manufacturer’s Conexpo press conference this week saying “2013 was a year of pretty substantial improvement for our company.” In the second half of last year, Terex saw revenues grow by 6.1% with the figure for the whole year up by 1.5%. The aerial work platform (AWP) and materials handling and port solutions (MHPS) divisions led the improvement in the second half, said De Feo.