A dump truck driver learned the hard way that it’s better not to tempt fate on a covered bridge originally built before the Civil War.
The loaded vehicle plunged into the Presumpscot River on Friday afternoon, leaving a hole in the plank structure in the shape of the truck.
The driver suffered only minor injuries, police said. But the same cannot be said for Babb’s Bridge, which was originally built in 1840 and rebuilt after a fire in 1976. In a best-case scenario, the bridge will be closed for several months, officials said.
The weight limit on the bridge is three tons (2,700 kilograms), and the dump truck loaded with gravel is “many times heavier,” said Paul Merrill, spokesman for the Maine Department of Transportation.
The truck was traveling through Gorham to Windham when it plunged into the water. Gorham police said the accident is still under investigation. The driver did not respond to messages from The Associated Press.
PHOTO: A hole is seen after a loaded dump truck plunged through the planks of the covered Babb’s Bridge into the Presumpscot River in Gorham, Maine, on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Gorham Police Department via AP)
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