Long Grove bridge hit 14th time since reopening last August

Another vehicle has wedged itself under the roof of Long Grove’s covered bridge on Robert Parker Coffin Road, the latest in a long series of such accidents.

Long Grove Fire Protection District Battalion Chief John Jaworski said the driver of a U-Haul truck “could not make it through the bridge, no matter how hard he tried.”

Jaworski estimated that the truck was a 12-footer. Unfortunately for the driver, clearance is 8-foot, 6-inches.

He said firefighters were called to the scene about 4:30 p.m. Friday.

The Lake County sheriff’s office said the driver, a 73-year-old man from Nashville, Tennessee, was driving the U-Haul box truck east on Robert Parker Coffin Road.

The driver said he was following his GPS and didn’t see the signs restricting vehicle height as he approached the bridge, the sheriff’s office said.

The driver proceeded under the bridge, and the top of the box truck struck the bottom of the covered bridge. This caused significant damage to the truck and caused it to become stuck. The driver was not injured.

As of 5:40 p.m., the truck still was lodged on the bridge.

Jaworski said firefighters checked out the structure.

“It looked to be in pretty decent shape,” he said.

However, more will be known about its condition after the truck is removed.

The sheriff’s office said the driver was issued a state citation for disobeying a traffic control device and a citation for violating a Long Grove ordinance because his truck exceeded the maximum height of 8 feet, 6 inches.

Village officials are on the scene inspecting the bridge.

It is at least the 14th time the bridge has been struck since its reopening in August 2020 after major repairs from a previous crash, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office.