(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A truck driver found out the hard way that his vehicle was too big to pass through the historic covered bridge in northwest suburban Long Grove.
Vehicles have crashed into the bridge dozens of times in the past, including twice this week.
Jake Neumann's family owns a cigar lounge near the Robert Parker Coffin Bridge, where he told WBBM a truck that was too tall got stuck in the bridge.
Neumann said the driver tried to drive through the bridge, even though he knew about the low clearance.
“The driver was talking to the police officer that responded to the incident, and he was saying that he usually drives a van for whatever company he works for, and he was driving a bigger truck,” Neumann said. “He said he forgot, tried to go under the bridge, and it didn’t work out too well for him.”
Neumann said the truck's tires had to be deflated to free it, so it could be towed from inside the bridge.
As for the incident on Sunday, Jimmy Bolf said he watched another truck that was too tall try to cross the bridge.
“The contents of the truck hit the bridge, and basically a passenger from another car got out, talked to the driver, told him, ‘Hey, your truck’s too big for the bridge; you need to back up,’” Bolf said. “The driver was able to back up successfully; he cut through a parking lot, and everybody went on their way.”
Dozens of trucks and other vehicles have either struck the covered bridge or got stuck in it, because they were too tall to pass through it.
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