Tractor Trailer and Pickup Truck Accident on the Narrow Hinsdale Bridge in NH. Smaller Vehicle Drivers Must Yield to the Big Rigs. Otherwise it is a Messy Commute for Everyone.
January 21, 2015
HINSDALE, N.H. An
accident between a tractor trailer and a pick-up truck caused a traffic
nightmare in downtown Brattleboro Wednesday morning.
According to the Hinsdale Police Department, Norman Oakes,
65, of Brattleboro, was attempting to cross the Anna Hunt Marsh Bridge from
Brattleboro into Hinsdale when his vehicle became trapped between a flatbed
carrying a backhoe and the guardrail of the bridge.
"As any car versus tractor trailer accident will
happen, it's not going to fare well for the car," said Hinsdale Police Officer
Gerald Palmer.
While the cause of the accident is still under
investigation, Palmer said that Oakes needed to be extricated from the truck,
but only sustained minor injuries.
"I was near the end of the bridge when he started
coming onto the bridge and the cab of the truck was in his own lane,"
Oakes, who works at Hinsdale Elementary School, told the Reformer. "I
slammed on my brakes and he just kept on coming and his trailer drifted into my
lane, pinning my truck against the bridge."
The Hinsdale Fire Department responded to the scene, helping
to extract Oakes from the vehicle.
The accident happened at about 8 a.m. and the bridge was
closed until about 9:45, said Palmer.
The tractor trailer was being driven by James Davies, 64, of
Shirley, Mass.
Palmer said it was unclear at this time who was at fault in
the accident, but he warned drivers to play it safe and to always yield to
tractor trailers on the bridge.
"A rule of thumb for crossing that bridge is if you see
a big vehicle coming, you probably want to wait for it to cross before you
proceed," said Palmer.
The two bridges that connect Brattleboro with Hinsdale — the
Anna Hunt Marsh Bridge on the Brattleboro side and the Charles Dana Bridge on
the Hinsdale side — are narrow and don't meet federal specifications. They are
slated to be replaced by a single span crossing the river south of the current
intersection. The Anna Hunt Marsh and Charles Dana bridges will be
rehabilitated and preserved for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The $45 million
project has been delayed several times due to funding shortfalls, but it is in
the New Hampshire 10-year transportation improvement plan covering 2015 to
2024.