A dump truck driver has been charged after slamming into a bridge being built on the I-77 on 29 August, says the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
In a report by FOX 46 Charlotte, the patrol says Richard McFarlind of Conway, South Carolina, was charged for reckless and careless driving. He was a contracted worker for the I-77 Project and was driving a Blue Max Trucking vehicle.
“He had just finished dropping off a load of dirt and/or gravel inside the construction zone when he was heading to drop off another load,” the report adds.
McFarlind failed to lower the dump bed and struck the bridge near Exit 13-A to I-85. He was treated for minor injuries.
According to the news agency, the bridge sustained significant damage and was taken apart to keep drivers and workers safe. The highway did not fully re open until the following day around 5:30am.
A company representative in charge of the initiative says the impact of the accident on the bridge's timeline is currently unclear.
Representatives state the incident was not the result of worker error and had nothing to do with the bridge’s clearance which was above minimum standards before being taken down.
