Atlanta

Truck that hit bridge, closed part of I-285, was 40,000 pounds overweight, GSP reports

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — After the Mt. Vernon Bridge over I-285 suffered critical damage due to a truck hitting the overpass, the Georgia Department of Public Safety has released a report of the violations that led up to the crash.

NewsChopper 2 first showed you the damage last week on Channel 2 Action News at Noon.

According to the post-crash report, the truck’s driver faces 10 violations for the condition of the truck, leading to a citation.

Among the violations of note, the truck’s weight was a reported 120,300 pounds, while the legal weight was supposed to be capped at 80,000.

As a result, the truck was more than 40,000 pounds heavier than the legal limit.

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In addition to the excessive weight of the truck, the report from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program, which is part of the Georgia State Patrol, shows that the truck’s height was also roughly four feet taller than the legal limit.

The truck had a number of other mechanical issues following the crash, including:

  • Insufficient or full lack of warning devices. The truck tractor did not have three bidirectional emergency reflective triangles
  • No spare fuses present
  • Leaking oil and grease from the left side of the engine and onto the ground
  • Inoperative turn signal for right rear light
  • Defective indicator lamp for trailer when key is in ignition and vehicle turned on
  • Frame rail flange was bent/cut/notched in ways not produced by the vehicle manufacturer

While the interstate lanes eventually reopened, the Mt. Vernon bridge will remain closed until next summer, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

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