Truck’s lift was up in fatal crash, investigators say

Investigators used
surveillance video to
determine the cause
of the accident.

VIENNA — Investigators with the Ohio State Highway Patrol have finished their investigation into an accident that took the life of a 46-year-old Mercer, Pa., man and for several days rerouted motorists using state Route 11.

Sgt. Jeffrey Klem of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said investigators looked over initial reports that truck driver Raymond F. Cross Jr. was killed Dec. 18 when the boom of a cargo container truck used to transport trash containers struck the underside of the Niles-Vienna Road bridge over Route 11.

“After a long investigation and thorough examination of the truck, we determined that the truck did have the lift or rack system up when it left the last stop at the Target store in Niles,” Klem said.

According to Klem, a surveillance video supplied by Niles Police Department helped investigators determine that the truck’s equipment had been in the upright position. He said the driver is believed to have simply forgotten to lower the equipment. No drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident, he added.

Traffic along the southbound lanes of Route 11 was diverted after the accident because the damaged beams reduced its vertical clearance, but ODOT received emergency authorization from its director for the demolition to begin.

Officials said traffic over top of the bridge on Niles-Vienna Road will not resume until after the final repairs are made to the bridge. There was no timetable given on when traffic would resume.

The temporary repairs will cost about $25,000, according to ODOT. Permanent repairs to the overpass will cost an estimated $250,000.