By Thomas Marra
For Capital Region Independent Media
GLENMONT — An excavator struck a bridge in Glenmont, slowing traffic on Route 9W Monday evening.
Bethlehem Police responded to a call for an excavator that had fallen off a trailer and was in the roadway on Route 9W in the area of Frontage Road on Monday, Jan. 2, around 6:45 p.m., according to Sgt. Michael Whiteley of Bethlehem Police.
“It was determined through investigation by the Bethlehem Police Traffic Safety Division that a dump truck hauling an excavator north on State Route 9W did strike the New York State Thruway bridge, causing damage to both the excavator and a bridge,” Whiteley said.
The New York State Department of Transportation responded to the scene to assess the bridge for any structural damage, Whiteley added.
Robert’s Towing was requested to respond to pick up the broken excavator that was laying in the roadway.
The road was covered in debris and required cleanup.
“The crash did result in a quantity of hydraulic fluid and about a yard of topsoil being deposited on the roadway,” Whiteley said.
Traffic was slowed for a few hours until the scene was cleaned up.
One lane in each direction was blocked off for the duration of the incident until the roadway was cleared.
The operator of the dump truck, a 56-year-old male from Wynantskill, NY, was ticketed for the crash, Whiteley said. Police did not release the driver’s name.
There were no injuries reported on the scene.
