A small bridge in Baltimore County, Maryland, came down on Monday, October 20th when a septic truck tried to cross it. The driver, John Cossentino, was not hurt but described the experience as “like a bad dream.”
What happened: The Carroll Road bridge, built back in 1879 and last refurbished in 2006, suddenly collapsed under the truck. The event caused parts of the bridge and nearby trees to fall onto the vehicle.
- Cossentino said, “Glass was shattering on me, a big beam on the bridge came down on me; it was like a bad dream.”
- Officials weighed the truck and load, confirming it was 10,000 pounds under the posted 51,000-pound limit.
- No one was injured in the crash.
What the driver says: Police and local officials have cleared Cossentino of any blame. He told investigators that the bridge had problems, and that its construction was not good enough for its certified weight rating.
- Bridge inspectors had downgraded the bridge’s condition from “satisfactory” to “fair” in 2023 due to old timber and loose bolts but decided it wasn’t an emergency.
- Baltimore County checks all bridges at least every two years, as required by state and federal regulations, according to WBAL News.
County workers and engineers are still working out how to remove the truck and debris, and the cause of the collapse is under investigation.