This week, the covered bridge in far northwest suburban Long Grove was hit again by a truck. WBBM’s Nancy Harty reports a local business is marking what’s become a somewhat regular occurrence.
Neumann’s Cigars and More is next to the bridge and has captured many of the truck strikes on its security camera. Owner Ken Neumann decided a few months ago to give a free cigar (worth around $10 to $16) to any customers in the store during crashes. He estimates they’ve given out at least 40 so far, including to a man watching from the porch last month.
He says he loves the town and feels the crashes have become almost comical. Neumann plans to keep out handing free cigars after crashes through the end of the year. According to the Long Grove Covered Bridge Accident Tracker, this is the 66th time it’s been hit since the bridge was restored five years ago.
Security videos posted online have been even more popular than the free cigars. According to Neumann, they have been watched by more than 5 million people.