Truck driver Stanford Doll, 54, dead after trash truck strikes a pedestrian bridge, causing it to collapse onto the Southfield Freeway in Detroit
Modified Date:
Fri, 10/23/2015 - 4:08amAccident Date:
Friday, September 26, 2014Bridge struck by trash truck collapses in Detroit
The west side bridge is about two blocks from Cody High School. Reports of its collapse came into police about 6 a.m. They determined a boom on the truck was extended too high to go under the bridge. When the boom struck the bridge, it pulled the overpass down, Shaw said.
State officials said the bridge, nearly 15 feet above M-39, known as the Southfield Freeway, was in "fair to good" condition, meaning that it was safe for use before being hit by the truck. No one was on the bridge when it fell, Shaw said. Traffic on the roadway below was fairly light because the crash occurred just at the beginning of rush hour.
Bridge hit by truck collapses; driver killed
A pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a Detroit freeway after a trash truck struck the overpass early Friday, leaving the truck driver dead and snarling rush hour traffic, officials said.
No definitive answers in trucker's autopsy
Doll's truck was passing northbound through the underpass, and the load was lifting without him realizing it, according to a firefighter on the scene. The load collided with the pedestrian bridge, pulling it down onto the freeway, the firefighter said.
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A pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a Detroit freeway after a trash truck struck the overpass early Friday. The driver died at an area hospital. Rush hour traffic was severly delayed on M-39. Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was among the first drivers to stop at the scene on his way to the team's practice facility in Allen Park. He was picked up by team security.
Diane Cross, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Transportation, said of the bridge, "It absolutely did not collapse on its own. It was pulled down onto the freeway. No bridge can hold up to that. It's not a failing in the bridge in any way."
Take these important steps after a truck accident in Michigan
As the trucking industry grows in Michigan, more and more truck accidents occur. Commercial trucks are common on the roads, and their size, weight, and many blind spots pose significant dangers to other drivers. And when a truck accident occurs, victims often suffer serious, debilitating injuries that require long-term medical care. Fatality truck accidents are common.
An experienced Michigan truck accident attorney on your side can hire experts such as engineers and accident re-constructionists to go to the scene to preserve and document evidence.
Go here to learn more about the next steps to take after a serious or fatal Detroit semi-truck accident.
Type: Truck Accident
People Involved:
Stanford Doll
Roadway:
M-39City:
Detroit, MICounty:
Wayne County, MIArea:
Detroit, MI
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