The hits keep coming: Long Grove bridge struck for 77th time since 2020

The Long Grove covered bridge continues to be a magnet for drivers of box trucks who have a quixotic attraction to the village’s emblematic downtown structure.

Village President Bill Jacob said a Penske truck struck the bridge along Robert Parker Coffin Road at 10:49 a.m. Saturday and became stuck.

After the air was let out of the tires, the vehicle was freed, he said. There was no damage to the bridge. The driver, who was not identified, received a $750 ticket, Jacob said.

“The way I look at it is the bridge wins every time,” he added. “It’s the way we redesigned the cover. It’s protecting the bridge.”

The latest strike means another addition to the photo gallery at nearby Broken Bridge Treats, which has become an unofficial bridge bash museum.

Owner Michael Okun said the number of bridge crashes now totals 77 since the structure reopened in August 2020.

To count for the list, a crash must meet the following criteria: the vehicle must hit the bridge and become stuck, and police and a tow truck must be called to the scene.

“Broken Bridge actually talked to the driver,” Okun said of the latest crash. “We asked him, ‘Why did you go under the bridge?’ And he said, ‘Because I thought I could make it.’”

In commemoration of the latest strike, Broken Bridge Treats gave out doughnuts to 77 people.

szalusky@dailyherald.com