June 30, 2011 - Atlanta, Ga. - According to a report at My Fox Atlanta, a bridge collapsed in northwest Atlanta after a truck slammed into the bridge's support beams on Tuesday, shortly after 9 a.m.
Police say the driver of a box truck was hauling a hydraulic lift on Bolton Road when he attempted to drive underneath a railroad bridge that measured 13 feet, 5 inches tall. Although the truck was only 13 feet high, the hydraulic lift caused the truck to exceed the height regulations for that particular bridge. As a result, the truck slammed into the underside of the bridge, causing it to collapse.
A section of the bridge collapsed onto the truck and another vehicle. The truck driver was trapped in the wreckage, and it took first responders over an hour to free him from the truck. He was transported by ambulance to Grady Memorial Hospital, with no-life threatening injuries, along with the driver of the other vehicle.
The truck driver is facing a variety of traffic charges, including hauling an unsecured load.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2009 Georgia Crash Statistics, there were 1,284 fatalities as a result of car accidents in Georgia.
As a service to the residents of Atlanta, our firm will frequently publish blogs about local traffic accidents. We do this to raise awareness about the common types of motor vehicle accidents that occur in Georgia that may result in serious injury or traffic fatalities.
Common accidents include, but are not limited to:
- single-car accidents;
- accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
- accidents caused by aggressive driving or distracted drivers.
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