Truck damages historic Long Grove bridge
A box truck crashed into the historic Long Grove covered bridge Wednesday afternoon, just two weeks after the bridge was made a historic landmark.
At 3:54 p.m., the truck struck the top of the covered bridge, said Lake County sheriff's Sgt. Christopher Covelli. The truck was driven by a 30-year-old Chicago man traveling east on Robert Parker Coffin Road. Witnesses told authorities that the truck did not stop as it drove into the bridge.
According to Covelli, the driver disobeyed signage leading up to the bridge, including a sign noting a 6,000-pound weight limit for vehicles. The truck was empty and weighed 15,000 pounds, Covelli said.
Covelli said the driver has been cited for disobeying a stop sign, disobeying a traffic control device, driving an overweight vehicle on the bridge and failure to reduce his speed to avoid a crash. The driver is due back in Mundelein branch court at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 1.
Robert Parker Coffin Road has been closed in both directions in the area of the bridge. It is unknown when it will reopen.
Long Grove Village President Bill Jacob said that the extent of the damage to the bridge is unknown, but he expects estimates to be given within the next few days.
A July 12 ceremony was scheduled to commemorate the bridge's addition to the National Register of Historic Places. Jacob was unsure whether the event would be canceled in light of the crash damage.