Same town, different bridge: Another crash in Glenville

GLENVILLE – It happened again on Tuesday morning, assuring that the bridges of Schenectady County were back in the headlines.

This time it occurred on Maple Avenue. It was 10:30 a.m., and it was a bad route that created a really bad day for an inattentive truck driver.

“I think everybody relies on the skills of a commercial driver to understand you can’t put a 15-foot truck under a 10-foot bridge,” Glenville Town Supervisor Chris Koetzle said.

The crash sheared off the top of the cab. At the same time, the trailer – which was empty – became lodged underneath the old railroad trestle.

Maple Avenue was shut down for hours, freight train traffic was halted in both directions, and internet service for many town residents was disrupted.

At the same time, AC’s Towing company was dispatched for a Glenville bridge crash for the umpteenth time.

“It happens all the time,” said Rafael Nieves, owner of AC’s Towing, “People don’t pay attention. Truck drivers are not from the area. They follow GPS thinking the GPS is accurate.”

The driver, perhaps embarrassed, was unhurt. It’s unclear whether commercial GPS was being used, but the town supervisor says that might not matter.

“It’s my understanding that it’s a liability issue,” said Koetzle. “If the measuring isn’t exactly right, they have the liability issue, so they don’t even touch it.”

As has been the case in the past, it’s not a matter of IF there’ll be another crash, most folks believe it’s a matter of WHEN.