Dump Truck Slams Into Overpass on Highway 101 in Palo Alto After Driver Forgets to Lower Dump Bed
The impact of the crash was so severe that the dump truck's roughly 20-foot-long bed was completely severed from the 30-foot-long truck, according to the CHP
By Bob Redell ••
A Caltrans crew on Friday investigated the structural integrity of an overpass in Palo Alto after a dump truck smashed into the structure. Bob Redell reports.
A dump truck slammed into an overpass on southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto late Thursday night, damaging the structure and creating a traffic backup on the freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The 2017 Peterbilt dump truck hit the overpass at the Embarcadero Road exit, creating a 27-foot-long crack in the structure, according to the CHP. All lanes reopened before 6 p.m. Friday.
The impact of the crash was so severe that the dump truck's roughly 20-foot-long bed was completely severed from the 30-foot-long truck, according to the CHP.
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A dump truck damages the structure of the overpass on Southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto on late Thursday night. (Mar. 3, 2017)
NBC Bay Area
A dump truck damages an overpass on southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto late Thursday night. (Mar. 3, 2017)
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A dump truck's box is pinned against an overpass on southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto. (Mar. 3, 2017)
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A dump truck's box is pinned against an overpass on southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto. (Mar. 3, 2017)
NBC Bay Area
A dump truck's box damages an overpass on southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto late Thursday night. (Mar. 3, 2017)
NBC Bay Area
A dump truck's box is pinned against an overpass on southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto. (Mar. 3, 2017)
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A dump truck's box crashes to the ground after being pinned against an overpass on southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto. (Mar. 3, 2017)
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Crews clean up after a dump truck crashed into an overpass on southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto. (Mar. 3, 2017)
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A dump truck's box is hauled away after crashing into an overpass on southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto late Thursday night. (Mar. 3, 2017)
NBC Bay Area
A dump truck's box is hauled away after crashing into an overpass on southbound Highway 101 in Palo Alto late Thursday night. (Mar. 3, 2017)
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CHP officials determined that the driver, who was later identified as 24-year-old Sukhpal Singh of Fremont, forgot to lower the dump bed after leaving a nearby construction site.
A Caltrans engineer from Sacramento was called in to assist local engineers with assessing the damage and formulating a solution.
Singh was transported to a nearby hospital after hitting his face on the steering wheel during the crash, according to the CHP. Alcohol or drugs did not play a role in the crash.
