Booze Truck Bridge Collapse

Recently, a minivan hit the canal bridge on 532 and almost went into the water.

Image courtesy of UMPD FB Page

An accident occurred on the same bridge in 1931 when a truck loaded with booze collapsed the camel-back bridge and fell into the canal.

August 16, 1931 Trenton Times

Bridge at Crossing Collapsed Under Weight of Vehicle - Driver Flees - Meanwhile Ewing Police Make $6,000 Haul Near Their Headquarters

Shortly after sixty half-barrels of beer, camouflaged on a five-ton truck, went crashing through a "camel-back" bridge over the Pennsylvania Canal at Washington Crossing, Pa., yesterday afternoon. Ewing Township police seized a $6,000 cargo of the same beverage loaded on two high-powered trucks and trailers.

Plunged head first into the canal, the truck drive swam safely to shore, clambered up an embankment and escaped in a rakish roadster that had been following his truck. The vehicle was licensed under the name of Harry Milestone, 2933 Almond Street, Philadelphia. 

Drivers of the trucks and trailers in Ewing Township ran right into the hands of authorities.

Patrolman Clarence Morris, patrolling the Pennington Road about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, became suspicious of two cumbersome-looking trucks and trailers - an unusual sight on the thoroughfare during the day. As the vehicles came in sight of Police Headquarters at Hillwood Lakes, he whistled the drivers down.

The truckmen, Peter J. Yancer, of 3122 Weikel Avenue, Philadelphia and John Stafford, of Magnolia Heights, N. J., readily surrendered. Cached in the two trucks were 240 halves and 60 full barrels of beer.

Chief Harry W. Prince and Sergeant John Kider hurried to the assistance of Morris. Chief Prince placed Stafford and Yancer under arrest and arraigned them before Recorder John Boscarell on charges of illegal transportation. The were released on $1,000 bail each.

Sergeant Elder and Patrolman Morris then had the trucks driven to the Mercer County Garage, Brunswick Avenue, where the beer was unloaded. The trucks were released to the drivers in bond of $10,000 each.

The carriers were headed toward Trenton but the drivers refused to state the exact destination of the cargoes.

The ill-fated truck which plunged into the canal had been driven across the river Bridget from the New Jersey shore, closely followed, witnesses told Morrisville State Police, by a roadster containing two men.

One witness said he watched the progress of the truck and suddenly saw it disappear as a rending crash was heard at the bridge.

The venerable span would hold only three tons, a freshly-painted sign read. However, heedless of the fact that he was driving a five-ton vehicle with an extra-heavy load, the driver continued onto the bridge. As the truck neared the centre of the wooden span, it crashed to the water and turned on its side.

The driver was thrown from the cab and started to swim frantically for shore. As he was doing so, the roadster was turned around. He leaped into it and it roared away at breakneck speed down the River Road, toward Morrisville.

A huge crowd gathered at the scene as traffic became snarled. Crates labeled "Radios" floated downstream, after tie roles snapped. Then, one by one, several half barrels made their way out of the wreckage. The soon were rounded up, however, but Troopers Stewart and Christ, of Morrisville State Police, and Constable Thomas South, of Yardley.

Traffic was re-routed to bridges up and down the canal by the police. The Bucks County Commissioners were notified and arrangements were made to take over the truck and beer. Officials of the Lehigh Canal and Navigation Company declared last night a new span would be erected. 

The same bridge had collapsed previously, in 1925, when a truck loaded with milk owned by John S. Eastburn overloaded the span.

December 7, 1925 Trenton Times

Eastburn Truck in Canal

If you're going to be hauling a lot of liquids, I recommend staying away from that bridge.