Two trucks strike Raleigh's notorious Peace Street Bridge
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two trucks struck the Peace Street Bridge in downtown Raleigh on Thursday, the latest incidents involving vehicles hitting the low-clearance railroad bridge that has drawn increasing attention and renewed questions about possible solutions.
The impacts tore open the roofs of the tractor-trailers. One of the incidents happened as a train attempted to pass on the tracks above the bridge.
While crews worked to free one truck that was lodged beneath the bridge, two other trucks also nearly became stuck, scraping the underside of the structure.
Rachel Abbott, owner of The Rabbott Party Bus, witnessed the incidents and said they add to a growing number of bridge strikes in recent weeks.
"As a commercial driver's license holder, this is embarrassing," Abbott said.
Abbott said the two newest incidents bring the number of bridge strikes in recent weeks to five.
"I'm sitting there, and then I hear like, 'boom'. I was like, nah, no way. And then I came down, and then this was here. And I was like, are you kidding me?" Abbott said.
The recurring crashes have generated significant discussion online. One social media account dedicated to the bridge, called "The Peace Street Peeler," tracks incidents involving trucks striking the structure.
ABC11 contacted Norfolk Southern Railroad about the bridge. A spokesperson said the railroad operates on the tracks, but does not own the tracks or the bridge structure. The City of Raleigh and the N.C. Department of Transportation also do not own the bridge.
Kim Deaner of NCDOT said truck drivers are responsible for knowing the height of their vehicles and paying attention to posted clearance warnings.
"Truck drivers have to know the clearance of their truck. So if they're looking at these signs, they should be aware long before they get in the position of not being able to back out," Deaner said.
Deaner also encouraged drivers to use technology that can help identify low-clearance hazards along their routes.
"There are mobile apps that you can put on your phone. And that would let a truck driver know, hey, that particular bridge is coming up. You're not going to be able to clear it," Deaner said.
Abbott said drivers who are uncertain about whether they can safely pass beneath the bridge should stop rather than risk a collision.
"When in doubt, just clog up traffic and stop. Better to clog up traffic and not have an incident," Abbott said.
Raleigh police are providing details on how many similar incidents officers have responded to in recent weeks.
ABC11 asked Norfolk Southern who owned this section of track and the bridge, but a response had not been received.
