Aug 8, 2008 12:49 pm US/Eastern
Lanes Reopen After Accident Causes Bridge Collapse
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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A pedestrian walkway over the Bruckner Expressway partially collapsed after it was struck by a dump truck.
A dump truck struck a pedestrian bridge on Waterbury Avenue in the Bronx early Friday morning, causing it to collapse onto the southbound side of the Bruckner Expressway.
Crews needed more than 10 hours to fix the problem, blocking southbound lanes and causing serious delays. Officials finally reopened the lanes shortly before 1 p.m. Friday.
The accident, which happened at 2:15 a.m., involved a dump truck heading southbound. The back half of the truck was in a 45-degree upright position as it headed to the foot bridge.
A driver right who was behind the dump truck told CBS 2 HD, "It's a dump truck and the dump body was way up in the air. The top of the dump body hit in the catch bin. He didn't just nick the bridge. The body was up in the air at about 45 degrees."
The driver of the dump truck was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he is said to be doing fine. His injuries are not life threatening.
Officials and workers from the Department of Transportation and the Office of Emergency Management were called to the scene, trying to determine the stability of the remainder of the foot bridge.
Meanwhile, commuters were none too thrilled with the delays.
"Most people go over the bridge to catch the bus in the morning. Now they'll have to go all the way around," said Pelham Bay resident Anna Schneider. "It's a big inconvenience. A nice schlep in the morning!"
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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