Truck vs. Albany Med pedestrian bridge
Though the bridge took damage, we're calling it the winner.
Update: New Scotland Ave re-opened at 5:40 pm Monday.
New Scotland Ave was closed alongside Albany Med for a few hours Monday after a truck hit one of the pedestrian bridges that span the street.
Here's what happened, according to Albany Police Department spokesman Steve Smith: a County Waste truck had dropped off a construction dumpster at the site of the Albany Med expansion just down the street around noon. The driver then apparently left the mechanism that lifts the dumpsters in the upright position. The driver then headed up New Scotland -- and, bang, the raised portion of the truck ran into the pedestrian bridge.
Smith said there were no injuries. (We wouldn't be surprised if there was a bruised ego.) He didn't know if there was anyone on the bridge when it was hit.
At about 2:45 pm fire and police departments were waiting for an engineering firm to take a look at the bridge before they started clearing the truck. Smith figured it'd probably be another hour before the street was open again.
Smith said police are gathering details to see if the driver will be ticketed.
A handful of photos are post jump.
Photos are in large format above -- scroll all the way up.
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Comments
Holy shenanigans. So glad this is just an inconvenience instead of a tragedy.
... said Eric on Jul 30, 2012 at 3:30 PM | link
On the other hand, at least County Waste had a truck onsite to haul away the debris....
... said Bob on Jul 30, 2012 at 3:44 PM | link
And you thought YOUR Monday sucked!
... said Arielle on Jul 30, 2012 at 3:48 PM | link
"Lucy! Someone got some 'splainin' to do!"
... said James on Jul 30, 2012 at 3:52 PM | link
Well, at least it wasn't a pedestrian that caused it to collapse. Now that would have been embarrassing. Glad no one was injured. A Monday #fail
... said Colleen Pierre on Jul 30, 2012 at 3:53 PM | link
@Bob: In some sort of poetic twist, it appeared that some of the debris from the bridge was being deposited in that same dumpster.
... said Greg on Jul 30, 2012 at 4:49 PM | link
Um how about a "clearance" sign on that walkway!
... said stella on Aug 1, 2012 at 11:50 AM | link