Trucker Accidentally Destroys Historic Indiana Bridge

A historic iron bridge in Paoli, Ind., collapsed on Christmas Day when a truck driver carrying 43,000 pounds of bottled water attempted to cross despite posted weight limits, according to local news station WHAS 11.

Mary Lambright, a 23-year old driver, was driving a Volvo truck pulling a 53-foot trailer when she missed an exit to a Paoli Walmart where she intended to park at for the night, according to Orange County Indiana Law enforcement. She got off at the following exit and found herself in a situation where she could not turn around.

Being familiar with the area, she knew of an iron bridge that would have allowed her to get to where she was going, but she had only crossed it with her personal vehicle previously. Lambright admitted knowing that the bridge had a posted weight limit of 6 tons but said she was unaware of the weight of her truck. Her vehicle weighed close to 30 tons.

She told police that she was uncomfortable with backing up and made the decision to cross. As the truck entered the bridge, the trailer was too tall and started tearing, but she continued on, eventually collapsing the bridge. Lambright and her cousin who was riding in the vehicle with her at the time were unharmed.

Lambright, who drove for Louisville Logistics and received her CDL last May, is being cited for three violations related to the incident, including reckless operation of a tractor-trailer, disregarding a traffic control device and being overweight on a posted bridge.