Gorham, Maine — A dump truck driver learned the hard way not to tempt fate on a covered bridge erected before the Civil War.
The heavy vehicle plunged into the Presumpscot River on Friday afternoon, leaving a hole in the planks shaped like the truck.
According to authorities, the motorist had minor injuries, but Babb’s Bridge, which was erected in 1840 and restored in 1976 following a fire, did not. Officials said that under the best-case scenario, the bridge will be closed for several months.
The bridge had a weight restriction of 3 tons (2,700 kilograms), but the dump truck carrying crushed stone weighed “multiple times that,” according to Paul Merrill, spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Transportation.
The truck was crossing from Gorham to Windham when it fell into the lake. The Gorham Police Department stated the incident is still under investigation. The driver did not respond to messages from The Associated Press.
