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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Waste Management truck stuck under bridge in downtown Spokane

A Waste Management truck hit a rail bridge in downtown Spokane early Wednesday, and workers spent several hours preparing to unwedge it.

Spokane police Officer Brad Moon said the driver wasn’t paying attention and will be ticketed. The truck was too tall for the bridge’s posted 11-foot-6-inch height limit. It was hauling pallets of paper. No injuries were reported.

Inspectors from the BNSF Railway Co., which owns the bridge, were on scene to check for damage. Railroads aren’t required to share detailed inspection reports with citizens or public officials.

The bridge, near Second Avenue and Stevens Street, was struck at about 6:15 a.m. Two lanes of Stevens were still blocked at about 9 a.m. as workers readied a tow truck.

Moon said rail bridges in Spokane are struck by vehicles about twice a month. On Aug. 25, a similar crash left an empty shipping container stuck under a rail bridge near Division Street and Sprague Avenue.

Dennis Overby, a parking attendant who works near the Stevens bridge, said, “That thing has been hit – I couldn’t tell you how many times. I’ve seen RVs come through here, knock their AC units off and just keep going.”

The bridge shows signs of cosmetic damage, including exposed rebar along the underside.