18-WHEELER COLLIDES WITH BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS
February 9, 2015
GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS:
Work is underway to remove an 18-wheeler that crashed and
caught fire Monday night near Belt Line Road.
Officials said the driver lost control and drove into the
HOV lane. He collided with a bridge that was still under construction.
“The truck driver got confused while negotiating a
construction zone and drove into a closed portion of the freeway, colliding
with the bridge structure that was under construction,” said Grand Prairie Sgt.
Eric Hansen.
There were intense flames as the truck's load of Styrofoam
and cardboard burned.
The driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The bridge was not yet in use, but suffered some damage.
“Scalding to the concrete and it will probably have to be
replaced,” said Battalion Chief Cal Timpf with the Grand Prairie Police
Department.
Investigators said that it is too early to know if the
driver will face any charges.
Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation came
out to inspect the scorched bridge, and said that it looks to be okay. However,
workers spent the night and morning cleaning up debris and repairing a damaged
guardrail. TxDOT plans to seek reimbursement for the damages from either the
driver or his insurance company. The total cost is not yet known.
The now burned bridge is part of a $63 million project to
widen and improve the HOV lanes from Arlington into Dallas. This is supposed to
be completed by early next year. TxDOT is not sure if the crash will have any
delay on that expected end date.
Several lanes of traffic remained closed Tuesday morning.
Officials hoped to reopen them by 10 a.m.
The truck is a total loss.