The low bridge, so often hit by trucks, has its own website
- Jürgen Henn filmed eight shocking crashes and missed two more
An 11-foot-8-inch bridge in North Carolina has destroyed so many trucks that video of vehicles repeatedly having their roofs ripped off has become a viral sensation.
Durham man Jurgen Henn, who works at a retail complex near the scene in Durham, said he had heard so many crunches and metal grinding over the years that he finally decided to set up a camera to record the accidents.
In a short period of time he had filmed eight accidents and overlooked two others he knew about and found that an accident happened about once a month.
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Film: Durham man Jürgen Henn decided to set up a video camera to record the accidents
Problem area: Mr. Henn filmed eight accidents and missed two others that he had heard about
“That’s almost a crash a month,” he said WRAL.
A video of the accident he posted on YouTube has garnered more than 300,000 views.
Mr Henn said: “It’s always kind of a mixture of ‘Whoa, look at that!’ and ‘Oh my god, what could have happened?’
He described the cracking sound as “earthquaking” and he said it startled passers-by and people in surrounding buildings.
Mr Henn said of the drivers: “They certainly seem distracted and the rental car drivers are probably inexperienced too.”
Crash: Authorities have warned drivers about the 11ft 8in bridge but they were ignored
Viral: The shocking footage has attracted more than 300,000 views on You Tube
The bridge is around 100 years old and when it was built there were no minimum clearance standards.
The city installed signs warning drivers to clear under the bridge, along with a sensor system that triggers a flashing light to warn oversized trucks.
However, drivers still scraped their roofs to clear them.
The state Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining Gregson Street, and engineers say there is nothing more to do to prevent future collisions.
“There’s a problem with who’s to blame,” Henn said. “Who’s having a problem? It’s tough.’
VIDEO: Watch the crashes now
