September 17th, 2010 | 
Author: ZANESVILLE, OH – A semi trailer truck accident Monday night, September 6, severely damaged a narrow road bridge in Muskingum County, Ohio. The single vehicle incident of a Dollar General truck forced county engineers to shut down the bridge which is on Piper Road/County Highway 67 just north of the city of Zanesville, OH. The truck accident area is in the southeast section of the state, about 55 miles east of Columbus, OH and about 74 miles west of Wheeling, West Virginia.
Local police and emergency personnel responded to the site of the truck accident.
On Monday night at around 10:00 p.m. an unidentified truck driver was traveling through Muskingum County, OH on Piper Road/County Highway 67. The semi tractor truck belonged to U.S. Express and the trailer section of the semi bore the logo of Dollar General, a chain of discount stores. According to officials the trailer was carrying a full cargo at the time of the truck accident. The corporate offices for Dollar General are based in Goodlettsville, Texas. U.S. Express Trucking is based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
According to police the truck driver had made a wrong turn at some point and was relying on his rig’s GPS System to lead him back onto the correct route. As the semi trailer approached the intersection of Piper Road and West Road the driver had to cross over a bridge. It was very dark at the time and officials think that the truck driver may not have realized that the bridge was narrow and likely too small for the large 18 wheeler to cross safely.
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As the semi truck attempted to make it across the Piper Road Bridge the trailer section crashed in to the side of the bridge and rolled into the creek. The driver was apparently able to get out of the truck cab and was not injured in the truck accident.
No other persons or vehicles were involved in the truck accident.
Local police and emergency personnel along with Muskingum County engineers responded to the site of the truck accident. The road was closed to traffic while a highway crew spent the night removing the cargo of merchandize from the trailer section of the Dollar General truck. Once empty the trailer section would be towed out of the creek bed and removed from the road. Due to the extensive damage caused by the truck accident officials closed down the Piper Road Bridge until further notice.
The closure is in effect between Tucker Road and Ohio State Route 93. Engineers found that the surface of the bridge was several damaged and would have to be replaced. They also determined that the support beams on the outside section of the bridge would need to be replaced. Authorities would have to wait for daylight to conduct a full inspection of the bridge on Piper Road. At this time they do not know when it will be safe again for travel.
Inspectors conducted a reconstruction of the truck accident to determine the exact cause. While they have not yet released their determinations to the public, some of the Muskingum County engineers believe that the truck driver took a wrong turn and got lost and was unfamiliar with the size of the Piper Road Bridge. They believe he entered the small bridge as he was attempting to find his way back to his main route.
No charges or citations have been made at this time and the truck accident remains under investigation.
For more information about Ohio trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact a nationwide truck accident attorney at Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP for expert advice. For a free initial consultation, talk to a OH truck accident lawyer at 800.773.6770.
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