Box Truck Driver Strikes Miller’s Run Bridge Then Drives Away

Dana Gray grayd@caledonian-record.com Staff Writer Mar 28, 2023 Updated Mar 28, 2023

Miller's Run Bridge boards are broken by a too-tall truck pushing through the Lyndon Center bridge Tuesday morning, March 28, 2023. (Contributed Image provided by Mike Grant)

Lyndonville Police are looking for the drivers of these vehicles. The truck passed through the Miller's Run Bridge in Lyndon Center on Tuesday morning, damaging both ends. Before driving away from the scene, the driver of the truck stopped on the north side and appears to have spoken to the driver of the pickup truck. (Contributed Images)

LYNDON CENTER — With little hesitation, the driver of a box truck too tall for the Miller’s Run Covered Bridge rolled through the bridge, causing damage at both ends.

Lyndonville Police are asking for help in locating the driver who failed to stop and report the incident. Chief Jack Harris, who has investigated many Miller’s Run bridge strikes, referred to the one that occurred Tuesday about 6:45 a.m. as the “first” one of the year, anticipating more strikes will follow. Last summer, the bridge, which has several signs, some with lights, warning about the height restrictions, was struck twice in one week.

Video footage provided Mike Grant of the bridge crash Tuesday morning shows a white box truck driving through the bridge, heading north. Oftentimes, drivers in trucks that are taller than 11 feet, 9 inches will slow down when they near the bridge opening and pause when they realize they’re trucks are making contact with the bridge.

That wasn’t the case with the truck on Tuesday morning. Very little braking took place. One person commenting on the You Tube video from Covered Bridge Accidents wrote, “this person drove through like he was on the Baja 500!”

The box truck did stop briefly on the north side of the bridge, and the driver appears to speak to the driver of a grey pickup before continuing. Police are looking for the pickup driver, as well, hoping that person can help lead them to the driver of the box truck.

Chief Harris said it’s “frustrating” that the individual in the pickup who watched the incident happen didn’t immediately alert someone.

The box truck’s path of travel from the bridge was a left turn onto Rt. 122. It travels past Pudding Hill Road, heading toward Sheffield/Wheelock/Interstate 91.

Anyone with information about the trucks or the drivers is asked to call police at 626-1271 or 748-3111.