Truck Caused Collapse: Bridge Collapse in Wa. From Large Truck

Truck caused collapse: A tractor-trailer caused a bridge to collapse in Washington state on May 23.
Truck Caused Collapse: Bridge Collapse in Wa. From Large Truck
A dented upper right corner and a scrape along the upper side are visible on the "oversize load" equipment casing being hauled a truck parked southbound on Interstate 5 south of the collapsed portion of the highway bridge at the Skagit River Friday, May 24, 2013, in Mount Vernon, Wash. The truck struck the four-lane bridge on the major thoroughfare between Seattle and Canada Thursday evening, sending a section of the span and two vehicles into the Skagit River. All three occupants suffered only minor injuries. At an overnight news conference, Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste blamed the collapse on the tractor-trailer carrying a tall load that hit an upper part of the span. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Zachary Stieber
5/24/2013
Updated:
5/24/2013

Truck caused collapse: A tractor-trailer caused a bridge to collapse in Washington state on May 23. 

State Patrol Chief John Batiste said the bridge collapsed moments after a semi-trailer truck heading south struck the bridge’s overhead truss. Investigators have talked to the driver, who officials said managed to safely cross the bridge before the span collapsed, and inspected the truck.

“The size of the load he was carrying appeared to create a problem, causing him to strike the bridge,” Batiste said, according to Reuters.

The truck hit an overhead bridge girder, sending a section of the span into a river below as the driver watched the structure collapse in his rearview mirror.

The company says it had a permit to carry its oversized load across the bridge.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.