The raised bed of a dump truck slammed into an overhead ramp on westbound Interstate 66 Monday, but remarkably, no one was injured.
The aluminum bed of the truck snapped off and fell into the travel lanes after slamming into a steel beam.
"Thankfully, nobody was close enough to hit that bed once it fell, but that is a very real situation that can happen with the bed of a truck,” Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Ellen Kamilakis said.
The damage to the bridge just before Route 28 in the Centreville area is said to be cosmetic only. Markings are clearly visible on the steel beam that spans the lanes.
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VDOT and a separate team of investigators inspected the overpass, which was deemed safe.
The Virginia Department of Transportation told NBC Washington that kind of bridge strike happens far too often in Northern Virginia and need to stop. There have been an average of eight serious bridge strikes over the past four years, VDOT said, and the majority are construction vehicles improperly loaded or with raised beds.
Kamilakis urges construction crews and everyone on the road to stay alert.
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“Obviously, double check, triple check, but also, just an awareness for everybody, in general, is that your actions impact other people,” she said.
There could be possible charges against the truck driver depending on the results of the investigation.
VDOT says it has learned from incidents like this over the years, and many new bridges are being built higher above the roads now.
