Halloween fright: Long Grove bridge hit again

Seventy-eight or 87? Either way the Long Grove covered bridge was struck yet again Saturday afternoon.

Long Grove Village President Bill Jacob confirmed that a box truck struck the iconic bridge along Robert Parker Coffin Road at about 12:56 p.m. Saturday.

“They let the air out of the tires and then pulled it out,” he said, describing how the stuck vehicle was removed.

The bridge, as has been the case in the vast majority of collisions, was not damaged.

According to Jacob, the truck’s driver reported that he did not see the signs warning of the upcoming bridge and its low clearance. Jacob said the driver was issued a $750 ticket for a village ordinance violation.

Jacob said it is the 87th time the bridge has been hit since it reopened following renovations in 2020.

But Karen Klancnik, manager of near Broken Bridge Treats, said by her count it was the 78th time. She counts it as a hit when the vehicle gets stuck under the bridge and a tow truck and police respond.

As with all hits, a photo commemorating the event will appear in a gallery on the wall of the shop.

Klancnik said she saw the white box truck drive down Robert Parker Coffin Road and get stuck under the bridge. She later spoke with the driver, who told her he was following GPS directions and it was the first time he had ever received a ticket.

Jacob said the village had taken steps in hopes GPS systems would not direct trucks toward the bridge.

“We declared the road a private road so that we could effectively close it to truck traffic,” he said.

szalusky@dailyherald.com