UNION COUNTY -- Ohio Department of Transportation closed US Route 33 west in Union County Thursday morning after a dump truck hit the Beecher Gamble Road bridge.
According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the driver of the truck was unaware that the bed had raised up. When he drove underneath the overpass, the bed struck the bridge and was torn off the truck and stuck in the overpass.
The driver suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital. He was issued a citation for failure to maintain reasonable control of his vehicle.
A vehicle behind the truck suffered heavy damage as a result of debris falling from the overpass. That driver was not injured.
All lanes of US-33 west between the Scottslawn exit and US Route 42 were reopened after an ODOT bridge engineer and several inspectors determined the damage to the bridge was minor.
A section of one of the steel beams will need to be straightened or replaced, according to ODOT.
ODOT determined the dump truck bed that struck the bridge did not cause the bridge over Beecher Gamble Road to lose any load bearing capacity.
After the dump truck hit the bridge, all lanes of US 33 west were closed as well as the ramps from Post Rd./161 to and from US 33 west. All lanes of US 33 west and ramps are now open.