Tractor trailer gets stuck under railroad bridge in Holley

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – A tractor trailer got stuck under the railroad bridge in Holley this afternoon, an occurrence that Fire Department officials say isn’t uncommon.

A driver from Florida was hauling a load of French fries at about 3:50 p.m. when the trailer got jammed under the bridge.

The bridge has a clearance of 11 feet, 11 inches. The truck and the front of the trailer cleared the underpass. As the truck went up the hill on South Main Street (Route 237), the trailer got stuck.

Lyons Heavy Towing and Recovery in Medina dislodged the trailer by dragging it backwards. Traffic was blocked from that section of the road for about three hours.

A similar incident happened about three weeks ago when a driver hauling blueberries got stuck under the bridge. That driver was headed north, from the opposite direction from today’s incident.

Fran Gaylord, Holley Fire Department president, said trucks get stuck under the bridge a few times a year. Some also slam on the brakes and manage to stop in time.

“The problem is they don’t read,” Gaylord said about the clearance signs.

The trailer is dragged backwards by Lyons Heavy Towing and Recovery at about 6:30 p.m.

Holley police ticketed the driver with failure to observe a traffic control device.

Genesee Valley Transportation, which operates the railroad, was on scene and inspected the bridge and found it to be structurally sound after the crash.