Authorities are seeking charges against the driver of a tractor-trailer after the vehicle's cargo struck a overpass in Cape Cod, damaging the structure and leaving the passenger of another vehicle with serious injuries.
Massachusetts State Police said the operator of the tractor-trailer, a 41-year-old Brockton man, was pulling a trailer carrying a hydraulic lift that was too tall to pass under the Old Bass River Bridge overpass on Route 6.
The cargo struck the overpass, causing chunks of concrete to become dislodged, police said. The concrete struck the hood and windshield of passing car, leaving the passenger, a 55-year-old Brewster woman, with serious injuries. The driver, a 56-year-old Brewster man, suffered minor injuries.
Both victims were taken to Cape Cod hospital.
The driver of the tractor trailer is expected to appear in Orleans District Court on charges of operating to endanger, operating after license suspension and an over height violation, police said.
The bridge above Route 6 was closed to traffic due to the damage it sustained in the incident, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said in a statement. MassDOT said a preliminary evaluation found two of the bridge beams were severed.
A photo from the scene showed concrete debris scattered across the roadway, with visible damage to some of the bridge’s beams.
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MassDOT inspection crews were on site Friday night to evaluate the bridge structure, and engineers will determine what repairs are necessary.
Both lanes of Route 6 westbound reopened to traffic early Saturday, but the overpass remained closed with no timeline to reopen, the agency said.
On Sunday, the ramp from Route 134 southbound to Route 6 westbound will be closed along with one lane on Route 6 westbound near the bridge as crews work to assess the damage, according to MassDOT.
Officials did not provide an immediate update on the victim's condition.
