Paoli Officials Trying to Determine What’s Next For Bridge

(Image Courtesy: Orange County Indiana Law Enforcement Facebook Page)

The town of Paoli is mulling the future of a historic bridge severely damaged by a truck driving accident on Christmas day. Orange County law enforcement officials say the driver, Mary Lambright, was attempting to park her semi in a nearby retailer when she got confused and took the truck across the span over Lick Creek. The bridge’s posted weight limit is six tons and the truck, loaded with bottled water, weighed nearly five times the limit.

The driver received her commercial driver’s license about seven months ago and police reports say she works for a logistics company in Louisville and was unaware of the weight of the vehicle. Paoli Police say they advised her at the time of the crash the weight of the vehicle was almost 30 tons. The 53-foot trailer also caused damage to the span’s entryway, as it is taller than the top of the bridge.

The truck was hauled to a towing company in Salem and was awaiting Indiana State Police inspection. The driver received three citations.