Call For Action To Stop Trucks Striking Westchester Parkway Overpasses
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Westchester County executive met with transportation and trucking officials Friday to find a way to keep commercial trucks off the Hutchinson River Parkway.
Commercial trucks are banned on the parkway, but routinely smash into the low overpasses in Westchester and the Bronx. There have already been 43 incidents this year where the over-height vehicles have wandered onto Westchester parkways.
The most recent incident happened Monday when the driver of a truck sheared off the top and side of his trailer like a tin can, blaming his partner for the error.
"He sent me down this road," the driver said. "And this was the result of him sending me down this road right here."
The drove the 11-foot moving truck under the King Street bridge in Rye Brook despite the sign saying the clearance is nine-and-a-half feet, signs saying passenger cars only and detection systems that are supposed to alert drivers they are over height.
"He knows he made a mistake," said Cardell Talton of Atlas Moving.
On Friday, Westchester County Executive George Latimer says you'll see changes in Westchester soon.
"This is a solvable problem... If government can't solve a problem like this, then government can't do anything," Latimer declared.
The county executive wants to put up new signs and experiment with at least one so-called "headbanger" - a height restriction unit that would be placed at a parkway entrance.
Latimer also hopes to expand the number of infrared units that trigger overheight warnings - Westchester has five, while Long Island has 16. Additionally, he wants to reprogram the infrared system, so multiple police agencies are notified in case they're in position to stop and escort the errant truck off the parkway.
As for the incident Monday, a woman who was driving in a car was injured and taken to the hospital.
