Happened to drive by as a passenger as it came up on PulsePoint. An ambulance just went by, And rescue fire truck. I hope everyone is O.K.
Charlestown Road is beautiful but people tend to fly. I am NOT saying this happened here. But you live here long enough and you see crazy driving on that road. Plus it is also a road that is challenging depending upon the weather.
UPDATE 2 PM: A source tells me the following:
Bridge is NOT open
Boards were dry at time of accident.
Speed and uneven boards were the problem.
Very minor injuries.
(PennDOT apparently delivered big old pieces of concrete at some point today to keep people OFF the bridge.)
EARLIER:
Someone else was kind enough to send me some photos today. Except for the one above I have cropped them in a little so people can see the damage that occurred with the accident over the weekend.
This particular photographer and I were discussing how someone would wedge their SUV in the middle of the bridge, and we came to the conclusion that there must’ve been some kind of speed involved, and quite possibly someone both unfamiliar with the road and driving on wooded covered bridge surfaces.
I know for example when we go over a covered bridge, we treat the wood surface with respect and go slowly. A lot of people don’t – they fly. You combine that with Saturday’s weather conditions where we had had our first freezing rain/sleet of the season and even though the road surfaces were too warm for anything to stick long-term, it could’ve very well made everything quite slick. Or at least the road leading to bridge.
I hope the people who were in the accident are OK – I don’t know who knows which ambulance company responded or if the people went to a hospital. I also hope that the people who were in the accident we’re not impaired in anyway because that will make this an even more expensive accident for them.
I am told PennDOT was out today. Thank you blog friend for the photos!
I took the above photo in November of 2012. Late November, 2012 as a matter of fact.
That same day I also took this interior shot as we drove through:
Well as of the wee small hours of today (Sunday, November 20, 2016) yet another Chester County historical covered bridge is on the seriously injured and disabled list. Check out the photos that the Eagle Service Center in Chester Springs Posted on their Facebook page :
Photo from Eagle Service Center Facebook page
Eagle Service Center said when they posted the accident photos (which are perfectly legal as the photos were taken on a public bridge on a public road):
This crash happened early this morning in the wooden bridge at French Creek Road and Hollow Road. The bridge was damaged during the crash and is currently closed.
An additional notice came out through a Chester County alert system today announcing:
The Covered Bridge on Hollow Rd between Pughtown and French Creek in West Vincent Twp. is closed due to damage from an accident.
Was this a slippery road or bridge surface that caused this, or was it reckless driving or a DUI?
How on earth does this happen?
This is the Sheeder-Hall or Hall Bridge and it is on the National Register of Historic Places!
According to Pennsylvania Covered Bridges:
According to county records, Chester County once had 85 covered bridges, 21 of which were shared with other counties. The earliest recorded covered bridge in Chester County was built in 1807 and the most recent in 1899. Only 15 covered bridges remain today, the oldest being the Hall’s Sheeder Bridge built in 1850. The covered bridge played an important part in the transportation system of the County throughout the 19 th century. Many of the bridges were built to serve local mills and the transportation of agricultural produce to market.
The bridge in Valley Forge just reopened. How long will this one be down? With a crash like this, there is undoubtedly severe structural damage possible, isn’t there?
Why are people so hard on our covered bridges?
I have been told by someone who looked at the bridge who saw it after accident and said it was dark, but they could I’d see there were a few new gouges in the Burr truss timbers. They were going to see what they could see in daylight – fingers crossed.
Burr truss is the design – the combination of arch and multiple “King posts” – originally designed by Theodore Burr in around 1804 and patented in 1817. The bridge also interestingly enough has steel beams, and no weight limit. The truss structure really only supports the walls and roof.
But last time we went over this bridge I did notice that it had some deferred maintenance going on. I am not sure technically who owns the bridge. Is it PennDOT or Chester County. This is the oldest bridge in Chester County still in active use.
There are always accidents on Route 352 (North Chester Road). One of the most accident prone spots is where Forrest Lane meets Route 352 (North Chester). There was another one of those accidents this afternoon around 5 p.m.
Route 352 (North Chester Road) is a PENNDot Road. I don’t know what can be done, but it might help if people slowed down and paid attention
As seen this afternoon from East Goshen Park….
As I learn my way around Chester County, one of the things I have been doing is travelling back roads…including ones which lead to Phoenixville.
So this morning when I saw the teaser of an accident on Route 29 on Malvern Patch, I thought “uhh ohh”.
And it wasn’t just uhh ohh, it’s a fatality.
There are so many cool roads in Chester County, but a lot are windy and narrow. I have noticed when doing these Phoenixville jaunts that drivers become impatient when you actually try to do the speed limit. And a lot of people have a hard time staying on their sides of windy roads at times.
Here’s what Malvern Patch and state police are saying thus far and stay tuned to Malvern Patch for updates:
State Police have not released the name of the deceased driver, pending next-of-kin notification.
By Pete Kennedy Email the author 11:04 am
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a fatal two-vehicle accident that occurred on Route 29 just north of the turnpike in Charlestown Township around 7 a.m. Wednesday.
The driver of a black Ford Explorer was killed in the crash. Police are withholding the identity of the deceased, pending next-of-kin notification.
The other vehicle involved in the crash was a PennDOT “crew cab,” a heavy-duty pickup truck. The three passengers in the PennDOT truck have been taken to Paoli Hospital with unspecified, non-life-threatening injuries.
The SUV was headed south and the PennDOT truck was headed north when the crash occurred, according to Cpl. Weid of the PSP.