New York (5/15/2014) — A truck driver learned a costly lesson recently while traveling on the Meadowbrook State Parkway in New York. That lesson was don’t travel on the Meadowbrook State Parkway in New York. Or any parkway in NY (and many in NJ and CT).
These three states restrict commercial vehicles from entering many of it’s parkways and have low clearance signs posted throughout. The driver of this truck did not take notice to any signs, and was spotted by a college student who was aware of the rules. The student began filming the truck, and minute into filming the top of the trailer smashed into a 10′ 5″ overpass, scattering debris all over the parkway.
Coincidentally, this incident happened on the same day Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the NY DOT’s infrared over-height vehicle detection system was nearing completion. The system will scan the heights of vehicles entering the Northern State Parkway and alert them, as well as traffic enforcement, if they are over the limit.
Many trucks and commercial vehicles that end up on these parkways often follow GPS devices intended for non-commercial vehicles with no height restrictions. The driver of the truck said that he was unaware that commercial vehicles weren’t allowed on the parkway.
