Syracuse, NY -- Firefighters at 2:11 p.m. freed a tractor trailer that was stuck under the railroad bridge at West Genesee Street and Erie Boulevard West. The Santaro Development truck got stuck about 1:44 p.m. Driver Victor Outley, 35, of Syracuse, said it was the first time he had driven the truck beneath that bridge and thought he had...
Syracuse, NY -- Firefighters at 2:11 p.m. freed a tractor trailer that was stuck under the railroad bridge at West Genesee Street and Erie Boulevard West.
The Santaro Development truck got stuck about 1:44 p.m. Driver Victor Outley, 35, of Syracuse, said it was the first time he had driven the truck beneath that bridge and thought he had clearance.
The bottom of the bridge is 11 feet 9 inches above the pavement, according to a sign on the side. He found out too late as he was traveling westbound under the bridge that he wasn't going to make it, he said.
The roof of the cab was damaged, but it was the cargo box, empty at the time, that got wedged.
View full sizeSyracuse firefighters work to free a truck that was stuck under the bridge along West Genesee Street at Erie Boulevard in Syracuse. Under the supervision of Syracuse firefighters, Outley twice tried to back up, then slowly pull the truck forward and out from under the bridge. Twice, the rending sound of metal on metal forced him to halt.
The crew of firefighters, supervised by District Chief Steve Evans, then let air out of the rig's tires. That lowered the cargo box enough to let Outley pull forward.
"It was just enough to squeeze it out of there," Evans said.
The westbound lane of West Genesee was closed and traffic was sent onto State Fair Boulevard during the episode.
Besides the clearance sign, the bridge bears the scars of previous encounters with trucks. Firefighters and police said someone gets stuck there two or three times a year.
The bridge did not appear to be damaged, but a CSX agent will inspect the structure, Evans said.