Driver of truck told THP he ‘thought’ he had permit
NASHVILLE — The driver of a truck carrying an oversized load that became stuck under an overpass, snarling traffic at the height of rush hour Friday afternoon, told troopers he “thought” he was in the clear to drive along the route.
Though lanes reopened Saturday morning, the crash that took place around noon Friday resulted in portions of both Interstate 65 and Interstate 40 downtown being closed to traffic.
The truck, operated by DG Equipment Movers in Lily, Kentucky, was traveling northbound on I-65 when the large Caterpillar water tank crashed into the I-40 eastbound overpass above, causing severe damage to one of the bridge’s five beams.
The company had not received a permit from the Tennessee Department of Transportation to bring the load through Middle Tennessee, according to Tennessee Highway Patrol.
“He said that he thought his company had a permit,” said Sgt. Charlie Caplinger of THP.
The driver was cited for operating a vehicle that’s over-height and over-width, as well as for pulling a double trailer without the proper endorsement on his driver’s license. The offenses are misdemeanors. Though TDOT had permitted the company to travel from Arkansas through West Tennessee, Caplinger said troopers “do not have a clue” why the driver was under the impression he was approved to drive through the Nashville area.
What the bridge crash means for Nashville motorists
From Friday afternoon into Saturday morning, I-65 northbound traffic into downtown was routed onto I-40 eastbound, and traffic on I-40 eastbound and westbound by the crash was sent onto I-65 South.
While crews on I-65 worked to removed the machinery that was wedged, an emergency contract company was brought in to remove the painted lines on the I-40 overpass above.
The workers then repainted the lines roughly six feet over so two lanes of traffic can continue traveling on the overpass until repairs are eventually made to the broken support beam.
In the meantime, traffic will travel to the right of the broken beam, remaining on top of four other beams that are still intact, according to TDOT.
Traffic below the overpass on I-65 North will remain unaffected.
Long-term work to repair the overpass could take as long as several months, said John Schroer, TDOT commissioner, describing the incident and needed repairs as “an ordeal.” “It’s going to be a process,” he said. TDOT hasn’t announced when long-term work will begin on the overpass and how that will impact traffic with potential closures during repairs.
As for how the bridge crash happened, authorities said an escort ahead of the truck reported that the height pole on that vehicle did not strike the overpass.
The impact was major when the 70,000-pound Caterpillar machine being pulled struck the overpass, but neither the driver nor any others were injured in the crash.
“This could have been a lot worse than what it is,” Caplinger said.
Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.